Just In Case You've Forgotten What This Is All About
Antoinette is the daughter of a former slaveholder and she lives with her family on their estate at Coulibri, which is near Spanish Town, Jamaica. With the death of her father and the passing of the Emancipation Act, Antoinette’s family is left poor. Her mother, Annette, marries a wealthy planter named Mr. Mason in order to get her family out of their desperate financial situation. rioters set their house on fire and they all escape, but Antoinette’s little brother, Pierre dies soon after they escape due to exposure to the smoke. Her mother, Annette goes insane from grief and Mr. Mason sends her away to be taken care of by servants while Antoinette is sent to go live with her Aunt Cora in Spanish Town, where she attends a convent school. Mr. Mason comes back and reveals that he is arranging her marriage. Part II begins with Antoinette and Mr. Rochester on their honeymoon in Granbois, an estate outside Massacre, Dominica that she inherited. It is revealed that Rochester only married Antoinette for her money, so that he could pay off his debt. When they arrive, Rochester clearly dislikes the house and the scenery, and he is distrustful of the servants. Antoinette attempts to dissuade him of his negative opinions of the property and succeeds for some time and they get to know each other before they finally have sex. After several weeks in Granbois, Rochester receives a letter from Daniel Cosway, who claims to be Antoinette’s half-brother. Daniel tells Rochester that he married a madwoman (Antoinette) and that he should come see him if he wants to hear the rest of the story behind Antoinette’s Family’s history of insanity. There is a noticeable change in Rochester’s attitude towards Antoinette and she goes to her old nurse, Christophene, for help. She explains to Christophene how her husband has been cold and distant and begs for Christophene to make an obeah potion for her to make Rochester love her again. When Christophene discovers that Rochester now owns Antoinette’s money, she agrees to help her. Rochester finally goes to see Daniel, and when he gets there Daniel begins to insult the Cosways and implies that Antoinette had a taboo relationship with Sandi, her half-brother. When Rochester gets back from his meeting with Daniel, Antoinette confronts him about why he has been so cold and distant, and Rochester tells her that he spoke to Daniel. Antoinette becomes distraught while she tries to explain her family’s history and puts the potions Christophene gave her in Rochester’s drink before he sends her away. Rochester wakes up the next morning to find that he and Antoinette had sex while he was drugged. To get back at her, he has sex with Amelie where Antoinette can hear them. Traumatized by his betrayal, Antoinette disappears for a few days before returning to the estate extremely drunk, and she lashes out at Rochester for calling her Bertha and cheating on her. Rochester tries to get the bottle of rum that she’s holding away from her and she bites him. Christophene intervenes and tries to calm down Antoinette. Christophene then starts to accuse Rochester for Antoinette’s current state and Rochester threatens to tell the police about her practice of obeah, which causes Christophene to leave. Rochester decides to bring Antoinette back to England with her and before they leave, a boy from the island follows them to the port, crying, because he wants Rochester to take him with him, but Rochester refuses. Part III takes place in Rochester’s estate in England, Thornfield Hall. Grace Poole is the woman that Rochester hired to look after Antoinette, and she reveals that she is being paid very well to look after her and it is also revealed that Rochester’s father and brother died and left him everything. The end is told from Antoinette’s point of view and she doesn't know where she is or how long she’s been there. She only has jumbled of recent and past events and seems very disoriented. She steals the keys to the attic from Grace when she falls asleep. Antoinette has a recurring dream about fire and, one night, when she steals the keys from Grace she takes a candle and sets Thornfield Hall on fire.