Comparing Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid to Wide Sargasso Sea and Song of Solomon
During our class discussions about Antoinette in Wide Sargasso Sea , I kept drawing parallels to the character Lucy Josephine Potter from Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid (we read it during sophomore english with Dr. E). Lucy is from the West Indies but left to give herself a better life so she lives in North America as a domestic servant to an affluent white family. The novel follows the life of Lucy as she matures and learns/recognizes about her place in the world. Throughout the novel, Lucy struggles with her identity, ranging from her cultural background to her sexuality. Throughout Wide Sargasso Sea , I kept seeing similarities to Lucy because I saw some parallels between Antoinette and Lucy. First, the most obvious comparison was how both characters are from the West Indies but end up living in a "foreign" land, like England in Wide Sargasso Sea or the United States in Lucy . While both characters feel out of place, Antoinette endures more hardship since she is forcibly remo...