The Last Red Macaw

Henry James's 1903 novella, "The Beast in the Jungle," introduces two characters, the self-involved John Marcher and his steadfast counterpart, May Bartram. Marcher obsessively believes that "[s]omething or other [lies] in wait for him, amid the twists and the turns of the months and the years, like a crouching Beast in the Jungle." As a result, his self-absorption prevents him from realizing that he, and not destiny, controls his ultimate fate. By embracing his fatalistic expectation, he puts his life on hold and waits with acceptance for the ax to fall. Although he displays some moments of sensitivity to May, overall, he appears emotionally unaware. In contrast, James paints May in a very different light. Throughout the story, she

4 I was aware that many men who have accumulated more millions of money than they can ever use have shown a rabid hunger for more, and have not scrupled to cheat the ignorant and the helpless out of their poor servings in order to partially appease that appetite. I furnished a hundred different kinds of wild and tame animals the opportunity to accumulate vast stores of food, but none of them would do it. The squirrels and bees and certain birds made accumulations, but stopped when they had gathered a winter supply, and could not be persuaded to add to it either honestly or by chicane. In order to bolster up a tottering reputation, the ant pretended to store up supplies, but I was not deceived. I know the ant. These experiments convinced me that there is this difference between man and the higher animals: he is avaricious and miserly; they are not.

In contrast to a more feminist perspective, LeBlanc views Grand Isle not as a female colony but as distinctly patriarchal. The fact that mother-women seem to rule enhances this reading according to their own submission into the phallogocentric demands of the island and culture beyond. The island visitors’ rejection of Mademoiselle Reisz, a woman who fails to conform to the expectations of a heterosexually normative society (and a woman who is, according to LeBlanc, culturally coded to be read as nonheterosexual), underscores the supremely heterosexual patriarchy that dominates Grand Isle.

Even though I was worried when we arrived here, I could still recognise that this island was beautiful. There were crystal waters and tropical palms. Sand that crunched beneath your feet and coral that decorated the ocean floor. Looks can be very deceiving though, Auntie. It didn’t stay beautiful for long and ever since we landed, I was praying that we would be rescued.

The autobiographical-novel maintains its poetic form through repetition, alliteration, and rhythm. As Kincaid writes, “…for no real sunset could look like that; no real seawater could strike that many shades of blue at once; no real sky could be that shade of blue…” This charm lulls and immobilizes the reader, such that Kincaid’s narration graduates from the victim of such transformative power to a practitioner in her own right. The mystical form powerfully mixes with historical content, opening up new possibilities for discussions that extend the political argument beyond the metaphysical. Indeed, the deceptive simplicity of diction and the finely controlled syntax examine Antigua’s clouded process of existence with incisive clarity. An emotionally truthful, intimate, and poignant piece, A Small Place demonstrates the author’s conflicting attitudes of love and disappointment towards her birthplace. As Covi praises, “Reading A Small Place is like looking at the sea: the message is carried by the tide, but it is impossible to say upon which particular

Jamaica Kincaid successfully convinces her audience that post colonial impact still remains. Through the use of rhetorical appeals such as pathos, logos and imagery she successfully explains her claim. Through this novel she gives an insightful explanation of what antigua is like from a person who comes from that area. Kincaid being born in antigua, she gives us a view from her eyes on what antigua is really like while going through post colonial impact. Kincaid incorporates historical background in text to convince her audience that this impact is holding back antigua from the good and enjoyable place it can really be. She develops a connection with the audience when she makes them feel like the tourist that is figuring out what's going on in the background of antigua. This connection serves as pathos as it makes the audience feel the emotion of anger and disappointment for not knowing what mess is really going on in this small island. This demonstration shows how cultures everywhere are affected by postcolonialism and how there is a negative global commonality between tourist and natives.

Sophy: Long ago, the immortal of dear took form of an unusual looking deer in the human world. The villagers called him “The Nine-Colored Deer” for his fur was composited by nine colors. He was the most beautiful creature then, however, he was rarely seen by human and so the villagers thought his existence was a mystery.

Mr. Braaksma worked a string of 12-hour days, and at the end was taken back by how small his paycheck was. While this was frustration for Mr. Braaksma, the most stressful part was understanding that line of employment could disappear overnight. (Braaksma, 2005)

1). The Admiral and the crew offered tokens of small value, such as strings of beads (later in time, the same price as for the whole of Manhattan Island) – and received “parrots, balls of cotton thread, javelins, and many more such things” in return (Id.). Columbus remarked on the beauty and youth of the natives, noting they were unabashedly naked, “not with prominent bellies,” and seemingly none over the age of thirty (Id.). Yet, all of Columbus’ written remarks and observations were superficial. Not once did Columbus attempt to discern the true culture, society, indigenous faith(s), and/or rights of these native people to maintain their lives and ownership of the lands they occupied. They greeted Columbus in peace. Columbus came to

The Corps of Discovery Expedition faced a multitude of adversities, and many of their experiences seem so ridiculous that it is incredible that they survived their mission. The party’s success cannot be entirely attributed to luck, but instead to the combination of abilities of the individuals involved in the expedition.

Eric William in chapters seven and nine of his book, “From Columbus to Castro”, provides his readers with an in-depth knowledge about the political and economic history of the Caribbean. Eric William gives his readers the story of how Europeans “discovered” the Caribbean and how they governed it. Thus the various events that took place right from the time of Christopher Columbus, focusing on the colonial sweepstakes pursued by France, England, the Netherlands, Spain, and Denmark. The main idea of chapter seven is how the Caribbean came to be the cock pit of European rivalry and wars in the latter parts of the fifteenth century up to the eighteenth century, an interesting tale of adventure, greed and cruelty. What William offers

“Dog is very tasty.” She explained, oblivious to my parents and my stares of horror. “You eat it?” My mother asked, as though she hadn’t heard the woman correctly. “I guess that means they don’t waste anything here.” My father joked, possibly as a way to lighten the mood. “What about the horses?” I dared to ask. The woman nodded with a grin. “Horse is very good as well. Would you like to try some one day soon?” She offered. We all shook our heads quickly. I found myself thinking of the small island, and the animals that lived on it. It made sense, that they’d eat the animals. There was no point in wasting perfectly good food. But to me, a pure bred American, the idea of eating a precious pet was simply

In a quaint little village tucked away on a beautiful Caribbean island, lays the seaside town of Runaway bay. A town filled with deep rooted culture on an island filled with welcoming natives. The pleasant vibes of reggae music and Rastafarian culture flow from the hills to the sandy shores. This island rich with tropical fruits and spices is located in the heart of the Greater Antilles. History tells that the enslaved island once known to its natives as “Xaymeca”, has come a long way in becoming the independent nation known today as Jamaica. In the Sea of many islands known as the West Indies, Jamaica stands peaceful, welcoming tourist and expanding rapidly. From an early age my passion for the island and its culture

In “A Small Place” by Jamaica Kincaid, Kincaid explicitly describes the effects and consequences that imperialism had on Antigua, while implicitly condemning imperialism for the effects and consequences indigenous people endured through allegory. Examining the results of imperialism in a cultural aspect provides a deeper connection for the audience to fathom the struggle people of Antigua experienced. Kincaid illustrates herself as the main protagonist who directly speaks to the audience as if they are the ignorant tourist. Through the utilization of the second person perspective, she immerses the reader emotionally, which through the experience proves to be more captivating.

The island is also a powerful means of conveying the traits of the characters. This is made possible by the fact that it appears to change depending on who is regarding it. The initial responses of the characters to their arrival on the island illustrates this ides. For Gonzalo it is temperate and full of possibility – he dreams of a commonwealth “t’excell the Golden Age”. For Antonio it is barren and unforgiving; he remarks it has “everything, save means to live”. The archcriminals Antonio and Sebastian mock the advisors observation that their clothes are undamaged and cleaner than before, but this is an interesting metaphor for the function of the island setting. The characters have been refreshed rather than hurt by their shipwreck; and, as in all Elizabethan romances, providence offers them a new