Antigua

Jamaica Kincaid was born Elaine Potter Richardson May 25, 1949 in St. John’s, Antigua (“Jamaica”, Caribbean). A Caribbean writer hailed “A significant voice in contemporary literature,” (qtd. in “Jamaica”, Encyclopedia) she is well known for her personal and honest works of short fiction, novels and essays (“Jamaica”, Encyclopedia). In her work, Kincaid “explores the tenuous relationship between mother and daughter as well as themes of anti-colonialism” (qtd. in “Jamaica”, Encyclopedia) and has been

Richardson, after her first publication, she changed her name to Jamaica Kincaid. The name Jamaica comes from her Caribbean country Jamaica, Kincaid because it sounded good with Jamaica. Kincaid was born on May 25, 1949 (Stone 326). She grew up in Antigua and focuses most of her stories on West Indian mother, daughter relationships. Her short story “Girl” is a close relationship to her childhood experiences with her mother. “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid was written during the division, reconciliation and

themselves. The tourists get the chance to escape their homes and boring lives, whereas the locals of Antigua feel they do not get the chance. Of course they dislike the visitors, they wish they could be them and they wish they could have what the tourists have. Yet, the tourists feel the same way; they wish they were ‘lucky’ enough to live on the island of Antigua. Just as the locals in the novel come from Antigua, these visitors are also locals of some place, some place the Antiguans wish they could go.

written from the perspective of a girl that grew up in Antigua, an English colony. The author, Jamaica Kincaid, illustrates England as a superior force by using diction that alludes to religion and history. In the first paragraph, England is described as “Jerusalem” by the teacher, who seems to respect England. Because Jerusalem is considered a holy and important place by many religious people, the word “Jerusalem” indicates that the people in Antigua considered England as a respectable and superior country

daughter on how to survive and succeed in the society that they are living in at about 1950-1960. The story portrays a mother’s urgent repetitive voice to save her daughter from sexuality, by teaching her how to become a good woman in the society of Antigua, a British Island. The setting of “Girl” affects the relationship of the characters by the mother dictating a way of life to her daughter and reinforcing the gender roles in society. She reinforces the feminine gender roles by showing

of the country, there is nothing that a colonizing country can tell a native culture that wasn’t already known. As Jamaica Kincaid implies in her book, if there is one thing that was sorely missed after the English left Antigua it is the fact that for the first time in Antigua there were quality built, well organized places to learn. As kincaid explains in the book, the beautiful library built by the British has since been demolished. And although the renovations for a new one were supposed to end

Jamaica Kincaid’s Achieving Independence ​Jamaica Kincaid’s achievement of cultural independence is best understood in the Mother-Daughter Relationships reflected in “Girl” and “Annie Jones.” Kincaid did everything in her power to achieve independence from colonialism and too have it infuse in her stories. Even in Kincaid novels, there is a tendency of picking female characters as an example for independence as she wished it for herself as an adult, a feeling of responsibilities to care for herself

Jamaica Kincaid addresses the reader as a tourist in her book A Small Place. Throughout the book her sarcasm and resentment towards the postcolonial state of the country cannot be missed. She exposes the “ugliness” of tourism, she writes, “The thing you have always suspected about yourself the minute you become a tourist is true: A tourist is an ugly human being” (14). Kincaid points to the fact that the tourists (European and American) and the tourism industry are morally ugly. The first section

Achieving independence Despite Jamaica Kincaid achieving cultural independence from colonialism, the lack of ones identity in the post-colonial times of the 19th century is best understood in her Mother-Daughter Relationships in comparing her writings of “Girl” and “Anne Jone”s". Jamaica Kincaid did everything in her power to achieve independence from colonialism and to infuse it in her writing. Even in Kincaid novels there is a tendency of picking female characters as a example in realizing a

The Marginalization Error The Caribbean is a popular area to vacation and visit. The great weather, the beautiful scenery, and endless resorts that people can choose from create an attractive destination. Once on the island, tourist are graced with an amazing view of the island, great customer service, and remarkable accommodations. Yet, at what cost? Typically, a tourist would answer with the response of money and time being the cost. But, how do islanders feel; at what expense must temporal pleasures