本論文主要以女性觀點來探討珍瑞絲的小說【廣闊的薩加索海】中的女主人翁安東妮這位白極克里歐女人。原來，安東妮這角色的前身就是夏綠蒂．伯朗特所著【簡愛】中那位閣樓裏的瘋婦－－柏莎梅森。藉著重寫柏莎這角色，珍瑞絲意欲為這位來自西印度群島約克里歐女人平反。以＜走出閣機的女人＞為此論文的題目，我想要與閣樓裏的瘋婦來做一個對比。在此，這『走出』的動作有兩個重要的意義：一是尋找過去；二是拒絕囚禁。經由討論柏莎的童年，少女時代，及婚後的生活，我們將對這角色有截然不同的認識興評價。更甚者，我們將發覺到她其實是父權與帝國主義機制之下的受害者。她的英國丈夫囚禁她以來消弭他的恐懼與滿足他的復仇心。然而無情的囚禁並未熄滅她的鬥志，而她的自殺也決非消極的妥協。反觀之，她的自殺是一種自我認知的宣言，同時也是對壓迫者的反抗與瞥告。藉著這『走出閣樓』的精神，柏莎這位殖民地女性為所有受壓迫者立下反抗的典範。 本論文共分為一個序論，三個章節，及一個結論。序論中說明我的研究主題與理論架構。首章著重在柏莎／安東妮的遼年及少女時代：她對母愛的渴求；克里歐身份的困境；和面對父權的強大力量。柏莎的過去，不再只是充滿不堪的醜聞，而是有其深刻的經驗與實質的存在。第二章著重在安東妮與羅徹斯特婚後的生活。羅徹斯特在這西印度群島的驚異經驗威脅了他於父權與帝國主義機制下所建立的優越感興主體性。恐懼於這地力的神秘感，羅徹斯特妄想去征服、控制這個地方。他將他的恐懼與妄想投射到他克里歐妻子的身上，逼迫她走上不歸路。第三章著重於安東妮在閣樓裏的生活。藉著對過去的回想，她試著重新尋回自我。而對自我的嶄新認知與對出坐地的感情，使得她有力量去選擇自殺，以結束長期、無望的監禁。雖然肉體上死亡，但在精神上，她已如鳳凰般重生，飛越廣闊的薩加索海，重回西印度群島。在結論中，我將再次指出本論文的主要論點，並肯定珍瑞絲為發出另一極有別於父權或帝國論述的聲音所做的努力。 / This thesis is to discuss the character of Antoinette, a white Creole woman, in Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea(1966). In fact, Antoinette's forerunner is Bertha Mason, the madwoman in the attic, in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre(1847). By rewriting Bertha, Jean Rhys intends to make a protest for this West-Indian Creole woman. As my title "Madwoman out of the Attic" suggests, I want to make a contrast to the madwoman in the attic. The action of "walking out of" has two significant meanings: an attempt to rediscover the past and a refusal of incarceration. This thesis is composed of one introduction, three chapters, and one conclusion. In Introduction, I will point out the main concerns and methodology of my study. Chapter One focuses on Bertha's/Antoinette's childhood and girlhood: her quest for maternal love, her Creole predicament, and the confrontation with patriarchal power. Bertha's past, no longer full of shameful scandals, has its profound existence. Chapter Two focuses on Antoinette and Rochester's post-marital life. Rochester's uncanny experiences in the West Indies threaten his superiority and subjectivity which are both established by the power of patriarchy and imperialism. Afraid of the mystery of this place, Rochester desires to conquer and control it. Projecting his fear and fancy on to his Creole wife, Rochester compels her to step on the road to Thornfield Hall. Chapter Three forcuses on Bertha's life in the attic. Through recollections of her past, Bertha tries to search for her lost self. Her new recognition of her self together with her affininty to her native land provides her with the strength to make her choice of death over prolonged and lifeless imprisonment. Though physically dead, she is, like a phoenix, spiritually reborn, flying across the wide Sargasso Sea back to the West Indies. In Conclusion, I will again point out the main ideas of this thesis and Rhys's efforts of uttering another voice.