Sasha Jensen Character Analysis
People often wear “masks” to hide their true identity. By wearing a “mask,” one protects themselves from getting hurt from society by being a different person than they would like to show others. Set in Paris at the time of the Second World War, Sasha Jensen, a troubling woman, wears a “mask” for her own security. Through out her life, Sasha develops this “mask” because of the denial and hurt that other people have put upon her. The male-dominated society that Sasha lives in is not very accepting of women. Women, like Sasha Jensen, become alienated and are forced instead to do “girly things” such as keeping up with their appearance and buying clothes. Instead of showing society who she really is, Sasha chooses to cover up by falsifying her
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She is hesitant to let people in because of her fear of getting hurt and self-conscious of her appearance. She meets a man named René, a gigolo who wants her money. Right away Sasha is captivated towards him even though she knows his true motives. He desires her for two reasons, which are money and sex. Sasha is hesitant when meeting René but he is special because his charisma accomplishes in relaxing Sasha’s protective stance. René detects right through the “mask” she has on. Sasha even confesses, “this is the first time that I have seen him in a bright light close by. It is also the first time, on these occasions, I haven’t cared in the least what the man thinks of me” (Rhys, 76-77). When their first meeting finishes, she goes back home, declining his invitation to stay the night. Sasha becomes irritated with herself for allowing her protective defense to be seen and promises to “lie in bed all day, pull the curtains down and shut the damned world out” (Rhys, 81). She has built and developed this “mask” over her lifetime that she becomes so infuriated with anyone who tries to take it off. Sasha remains inside, feeling sad and disconnects from herself, and the greater the sensation of self is destroyed, the sadder she becomes. René allows the reader to see inside of Sasha’s true emotions that are covered by her “mask.” With René, the reader even finds out what Sasha is ultimately afraid of. Sasha takes off her “mask” and tells René that because she is afraid of society’s cruelty, which makes her alienated from
She is hesitant to let people in because of her fear of getting hurt and self-conscious of her appearance. She meets a man named René, a gigolo who wants her money. Right away Sasha is captivated towards him even though she knows his true motives. He desires her for two reasons, which are money and sex. Sasha is hesitant when meeting René but he is special because his charisma accomplishes in relaxing Sasha’s protective stance. René detects right through the “mask” she has on. Sasha even confesses, “this is the first time that I have seen him in a bright light close by. It is also the first time, on these occasions, I haven’t cared in the least what the man thinks of me” (Rhys, 76-77). When their first meeting finishes, she goes back home, declining his invitation to stay the night. Sasha becomes irritated with herself for allowing her protective defense to be seen and promises to “lie in bed all day, pull the curtains down and shut the damned world out” (Rhys, 81). She has built and developed this “mask” over her lifetime that she becomes so infuriated with anyone who tries to take it off. Sasha remains inside, feeling sad and disconnects from herself, and the greater the sensation of self is destroyed, the sadder she becomes. René allows the reader to see inside of Sasha’s true emotions that are covered by her “mask.” With René, the reader even finds out what Sasha is ultimately afraid of. Sasha takes off her “mask” and tells René that because she is afraid of society’s cruelty, which makes her alienated from