Reconstructing the Canon, Reimagining Identity: Jean Rhys's Revisionist Narrative in Wide Sargasso Sea

The paper aims to study the subversions and reinterpretations in Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea, which serves as a prequel to Charlotte Brontë's celebrated novel, Jane Eyre, using a postmodern perspective. This study delves into analyzing the effects of these subversions on the reassessment of the literary canon. This inquiry involves analyzing Rhys' use of narrative methods, such as irony and intertextuality, to question and subvert the dominant narratives and assumptions in Brontë's work. The paper examines Rhys' deliberate undermining of binary oppositions, exploration of colonial and patriarchal power dynamics, and incorporation of different perspectives by employing the concept of rewriting within a postmodern literary context. The paper also considers how self-reflection and metafiction might emphasize the process of revising and reinterpreting. This research paper highlights the significance of understanding the revolutionary potential of postmodern literature in terms of its ability to expand and challenge established works. Finally, this analysis allows us to recognize and value the subversive qualities of the Wide Sargasso Sea and its position within the postmodern literary canon.