History as Fiction - Erin

One thing that I come back to every time that we talk about Antoinette and Rochester’s relationship is how unhealthy the dynamic seems. I think we mostly agreed that as the book and their relationship develops, it turns darker, as Rochester becomes more jealous and more possessive. However, before we get into Rochester’s controlling tendencies I want to look back and reflect at the beginning. We generally had an optimistic view of Rochester in the beginning, which was the point. He was mostly friendly and more willing to learn about the island and it’s culture than Mr. Mason ever was. It’s also at this point where we see their relationship growing as they get to know each other and figure out what the other expects. Around this time is when we start to see Rochester talking about making her into an English girl. As time goes on we see his efforts in trying to make sure that she fits the ideals he has for her (PSA you should never have to change who you are for your ...

Throughout class I think I’ve made my contempt for Raymond very clear. However, now that we’ve finished the book, I would like to do an overview of Raymond and his actions. The first impression we get of Raymond is when Meursault introduces him as a “warehouse guard”, heavily implying that he is a pimp. From the get-go we as readers are wary of his character, which is further reinforced after his first interaction with Meursault when he describes how he beat his mistress when he thought she was cheating on him. From our perspective as readers, we are understandably horrified, and rightly so. Raymond then proceeds to ask for Meursault's help in writing a letter “apologizing” to get her to come back so he can punish her further for her unfaithfulness. At this point, any shred of respect I have given Raymond was gone. What respect I had for Meursault at this point was further lost a few sentences later, when he agreed to write the letter. After Raymond beat his mistress again, he ret...