Jean Rhys's four early novels, all published during the twenty years between the two world wars –

(1928),

(1930),

(1934), and

(1939) – are often considered together. Their central characters, although ostensibly different, share the same qualities of vulnerability, depression, loneliness and desperation. Forgotten by their families during the interwar years, they perpetually attach themselves to unsuitable men in exchange for alcohol, luxurious clothes, and attention. These four novels are often dismissed by critics as too experimental; they turn instead to Rhys's 1966 masterpiece,

, for any consideration of the postcolonial, structures of female identity, or the role of the outsider. It was,…

1971 words

Citation: Gildersleeve, Jessica. "Good Morning, Midnight". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 September 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4930, accessed 24 November 2024.]