Wide Sargasso Sea Versions of Reality Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Part.Section.Subsection [if applicable].Paragraph). Wide Sargasso Sea is divided into three parts. Within those parts, the novel does not number sections and subsections. This guide refers to sections if they are marked by an asterisk or some other symbol in the text. Within those sections, the novel indicates subsections by an extra line break.

Quote #10

That was the third time I had my dream and it ended […] Then I turned around and saw the sky. It was red and all my life was in it […] Now at last I know why I was brought here and what I have to do. (III.7.1-6)

For a more complete discussion of the ending, see our "What's Up with the Ending?" In the context of our discussion of "Versions of Reality" here, the last dream is interesting because it provides a condensed version of the events in the novel – kind of like a SportsCenter highlight reel. This scene suggests that there's more than one way of looking at reality, that sometimes reality is like a dream in that it can often be puzzling or illogical, a mix of familiar and unfamiliar elements. Of course the novel doesn't show us exactly what Antoinette ends up doing – that would be interpreting the dream for you, telling you what to think, and the novel is very much about letting you actively engage with the text and come up with your own interpretation.