Sasha’s Money Troubles

Everyone cares about money. Money is a big part of this world where some people think it is the most important thing while some think that money isn’t as important. However, it would be hard to survive in our society without money and everyone, at some point of their lives, has to worry about finding a job to support themselves unless they come from a very rich family. Jean Rhys portrays the main character in Good Morning, Midnight, Sasha Jensen, as a woman who has many negative qualities compared to her amount of positive qualities, especially in her problems in spending money.

Sasha is an unstable and fragile woman. She already has a place to stay and even though her room is not the nicest one available since it was within her budget, she goes to look for another room. She is very specific and wants a “light room”. In this one hotel, the receptionist says that there is a light room available. However, a young man comes up telling her that room 219, the supposed light room, is occupied. One the sidelines:

I listen anxiously to this conversation. Suddenly I feel that I must have number 219, with bath – number 219, with rose-coloured curtains, carpet and bath. I shall exist on a different plane at once if I can get this room, if only for a couple of nights. It will be an omen. Who says you can’t escape from your fate? I’ll escape from mine, into room number 219. Just try me, just give me a chance. (Rhys 37)

Once she got it into her head that room 219 is a great room, she had gotten rather obsessed with getting this room even though it would mean spending most of her money. However, this was also one of the first instances that she was indecisive within the two week period of this novel. Even with the specific room she had wanted and her sudden obsession with the room 219, she doesn’t get room 219 in the end because it apparently didn’t fit into her description as a “light room.” This was also one of the few instances that she made a good...