8-14

When Rochester touches the rose 'the petals dropped', Rhys uses this as a symbol for the destruction of nature, purity, and ultimately, innocence. The Rose offers a symbol for Antoinette, she is wild compared to Rochester's Upper-Class English sensibilities and arguably part of nature; it is nature that Antoinette feels comfort in, nature provides the mother care that Antoinette's biological mother failed to provide; while Annette 'pushed her away', Antoinette is welcomed by the nature surrounding the Caribbean islands. When Rochester destroys the rose he is also destroying nature, this foreshadowing his destruction of Antoinette. The idea that 'the petals dropped' expresses the delicate nature of the rose, and with this the delicate nature of Antoinette. However, unlike the rose, Antoinette is not delicate physically but mentally; her mental capacity is on the verge of collapse like her mother. Just as Rochester easily destroys the rose, he can easily destroy Antoinette through rejection; Rochester is the symbol of male dominance and destruction, like Annette, Antoinette is doomed by the dominance of man tied through marriage. Rochester is the parallel of Mason with Anette.

Rhys uses features of the landscape to symbolise Antoinette; Rochester describes seeing a ravine hidden within the islands precipitous landscape, "one side the wall of green, on the other a steep drop below", this illustrates the idea that, although Antoinette on the surface seems beautiful, natural and ultimately 'sane'. Yet, like the steep drop that lies behind the 'wall of green', Antoinette has the darkness of insanity suppressed under her cover of sanity and beauty. Rhys continues the threatening association with nature with "those hills will close in on you", "an extreme green" - this resonates the idea that lunacy is inherited, and so natural, to Antoinette. The hills close in on Rochester as lunacy closes in on Antoinette's sanity. Furthermore, the language Rochester uses in association to nature is almost always negative, Rhys uses this to portray Rochester's inability to accept both Antoinette's culture and her home 'too much purple, extreme green'; Rochester is made uncomfortable by the islands inability to be tamed, also Antoinette's wild nature ('throwing like a boy') as it represents a threat to Rochester's male dominance- (highlights the divide between the two even further).

Antoinette's 'uncertain mind' is highlighted in doubts as to whether 'poisonous snakes' inhabit the island, repeatedly changing her mind as to whether they do or not, Antoinette's fragmented mind means she is unable to string concise sentences together. She is obviously conscious of her depleting mentality as she expresses this doubt to Rochester 'Afraid of what? Everything. Nothing. I'm afraid of what might happen" 'what might happen' is Antoinette losing her mind, falling into insanity as did her mother.

Daniel Cosway informs Rochester through a letter of the families inherited insanity, as well as illustrating the Cosway's somewhat, corrupt, past involving slavery and promiscuousness, adultery.

Antoinette becomes utterly dependant on Rochester; Rochester is the only figure in Antoinette's life that has shown her any type of intimate affection, naturally, she must cling on to this as her mother's rejection has left her insecure about her ability to 'love' or be 'loved'. For Antoinette, the sex Rochester gives her each death equates to love, she believes that she loves Rochester and vice versa, thus becomes  dependant on him as a source of protection, security, he tells her she is 'safe'; for Antoinette this represents the first time she has ever actually been 'safe' in her life. Unfortunately, for Rochester sex equates for nothing but pleasure and does not feel the same affection for Antoinette as she to him, from this point Antoinette is doomed. Rochester will eventually break from Antoinette as he will grow bored of her pleasure, as Antoinette is dependant on him this will force her into lunacy; repressed feeling of rejection from her mother, father and society will flood her mind, Antoinette will become 'Bertha'.