Feminism in Novels

A common trend I found between The Thing Around Your Neck and Wide Sargasso Sea was the influence of women.  I thought both novels were very feminine oriented in the sense that they depicted the struggles and challenges towards the female characters.  It also showed how they dealt with their own situations.

The female characters within the stories in The Thing Around Your Neck gave me the sense of confidence.  Whether it was Nkem, who stood up to her husband or Ujunwa, who faced sexist backlash towards her story, I was swept away by the courage and strength these ladies had within their chapters.  Empowered would be the word I would use to describe how this book made me feel. Many of their stories were about moving to a new country and adapting to a new lifestyle, while at the same time trying to keep their African roots.

In contrast, when I read Wide Sargasso Sea I felt sad for Antoinette as her life unraveled.  It was a different experience when comparing the two books.  This one was far more depressing to read as Antoinette was overpowered by her husband and forced into confinement.  Eventually driven to insanity, her confidence dropped and her past came back to haunt her.  The bullying and broken family aided in making her relationship with Rochester a disaster.  Looking back, it was hard to read this book after reading The Thing Around Your Neck as it set a less empowering mood for women.

I think the differing setting and periodization for the novels was a main factor in the contrast between the levels of feminism.  In reading both these books, I think my definition of feminine empowerment has changed.  I learned that when in a bad situation, you can either do one of two things; you can either give up or work hard and achieve.