Wide Sargasso Sea Lesson Plan

How does Antoinette's life change after she leaves Coulibri? Is it for the better or for the worse?

Antoinette loses her childhood home, her brother and her mother. She is traumatized by the night of Coulibri's destruction. But in some ways, your students may notice, Antoinette's life improves. At the convent, she is no longer isolated – she has friends and a community. She is no longer poverty-stricken or neglected. She does not fear violence and does not feel as despised as she did once. Ask students whether they think Antoinette is happy at the convent. Would she have stayed there as an adult, if she had the choice? Would that have been the right decision for her? Why...