Alienation in Erdrich Louise’s Love Medicine (1993) and Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea (1966)

Abstract

This research work is meant to analyze the affinities between: Erdrich Louise’s Love Medicine (1993) and Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) in relation to the issue of alienation. To support our research, we rely on Harold Bloom’s theory of alienation; Bloom’s Literary Themes: Alienation (2009).This work discusses this notion referring to Bloom’s concepts namely: the concept of Family, Religion and faith, marriage and cultural belonging. After our analysis, we reached the results that both authors share affinities, first, in the way they present their characters struggling with the surrounding conditions. Then, in the way they develop the different kinds of alienation as prominent themes in both works. Finally, we examine the way they use diction, imagery, details, language and syntax to express their resistance against alienation.