Jean Rhys

Jean Rhys is one of the most celebrated authors of the 20th century. Notoriously reclusive, Rhys has proven to be a force to be reckoned with in the literary world. From her early years success to her status as a preeminent modernist author, Rhys’ work has been adored and analyze to the end of the last century and beyond.

Born Ella Gwendolen Rees Williams in 1888, Rhys was a native of Dominica. Growing up on the island with her parents, Rhys started attending school at an early age and quickly developed an affinity for literature and wrote her first few stories by age 10. After several years of excellent academic performance, she was sent to England for higher education and relocated to Exeter in 1906.

For the next few years, Rhys would make her living as a dance and piano teacher, but it was obvious that her heart was in writing. She published her first novel in 1927 and though the book, Postures, was never a commercial success, it attracted the attention of literary elite and gained her admittance into the London broadsheet literary circles. This prompted her to keep working and she ultimately did achieve success with her 1929 novel Quatre-Vingts.

Subsequently, Rhys moved to Paris, where she would eventually develop a characteristic literary style that would become her signature for her later works. She became immersed in the existentialist movements of the area, which centered around the abandonment of traditional forms of artistic expression, and began to incorporate these themes into her work.

In 1939, Rhys published her masterpiece, the semi-autobiographical Wide Sargasso Sea. Wide Sargasso Sea is a postcolonial book that tells the story of Antoinette Cosway, a Creole woman, and her struggles to maintain a sense of self-identity in a hostile world.

The novel won the Somerset Maugham Award and has since become a classic in the world of literature. Her other works, including Good Morning Midwife, After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie and Voyage in The Dark, continued to explore the issues of identity and the struggles faced by marginalised people in society.

Simultaneously, Rhys became a foundational figure in the post-colonial literary scene, paving the way for future generations of authors from similar backgrounds. Her influence can be seen in authors such as Claude McKay and Jamaica Kincaid, but her unique form of writing and her introspective exploration of the human condition remain a hallmark of her work.

Rhys’ work has earned her profound respect from the literary community, and she has been honored endlessly with awards, honorary doctorates, and international recognition. In 1976, she was awarded the title of Dame of the British Empire for her outstanding contribution to literature and her impact on the literary world.

Jean Rhys is an author whose work remains vibrant and relevant to this day. She remains an inspiration to generations of aspiring authors and continues to be an important voice in the post-colonial literary world. Her works are an enduring testament to her writing and her legacy that will stay with us for centuries to come.