An example of Chinese scholarly work on
Wide Sargasso Sea:
by Huang Hongyi
World Literature Studies, 2024, 12(5): 491-496
Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea , which has gained recognition as an exceptional and pivotal text in the fields of postcolonial and feminist literature, is widely regarded as the prequel to Charlotte Brontë's classic novel Jane Eyre . Numerous critics have explored the novel's postcolonial, feminist, modernist, and intertextual aspects, emphasizing its significance in these areas of study. However, comparatively fewer studies have delved into the novel's moral values or ethical ideas, which remain a crucial yet underexplored dimension of the text. This paper, guided by the framework of ethical literary criticism, aims to uncover the ethical ideas and moral values embedded within the novel and, through this lens, to investigate the ethical underpinnings of the heroine Antoinette's tragic fate. The primary focus is on deconstructing Antoinette's complex ethical circumstances, her shifting and multifaceted ethical identities, and the series of conflicting ethical choices she makes under the influence of her ethical consciousness. The analysis reveals that Antoinette's tragic fate is largely the result of a series of passive and impulsive decisions, driven by her emotional sensitivities and shaped by the intricate ethical situations imposed by the colonial, racial, and patriarchal structures of her society. Furthermore, the application of ethical literary criticism in this study offers new perspectives on moral understanding, providing valuable ethical insights into social dynamics and self-improvement, which are not only relevant to the novel's context but also applicable to broader societal concerns.
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