Politics of Exclusion in Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea

Abstract

The present research is on Jean Rhys’ famous novel Wide Sargasso Sea. This thesis deals with the formation of identity by using the postcolonial theory to critique the condition of diasporic character. Wide Sargasso Sea specially examines the prevalent concept of conventional, progressive history and the notion of “Self” and “Other” by linking the notion of madness that is presented by Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. According to postcolonial theory the “Self” and “Other” are supposed to be the measuring rod to define the colonial and postcolonial relationship in regards to the concept of binarism that was formed to rule the world by showing the civilized and uncivilized relationship of East and West by European colonizer. The west was taken as “Self” and the Non-West was considered as “Other” and uncivilized in the process of the identity formation. But my point of departure in this research is does the identity remains fixed for all the time or it is fluid which changes according to context and changes in politics and ruling system. After the analysis of Wide Sargasso Sea and post colonial theory I conclude that the identity is not the matter of fixity, it changes according to the change in circumstances. So, colonizer does not remain suppressor and oppressor all the time as described in postcolonial criticism.