The
Antiguan-American writer, Jamaica Kincaid, in her novel “A Small Place” paints
a picture of her own personality indirectly. She describes two sides of a
story: the tourist and the native. Through these two opposites, she displays
her own voice and lets us, the reader, come to a deeper understanding of her
own psyche. Being a native Antiguan, Kincaid has a biased view and it shows in
her writing. Not withstanding, she does criticize the natives in many ways, but
there is a latent scorn towards the tourist in the sense that she feels as
though they only serve the purpose of reminding the natives of their own harsh
reality and their even worse past.
She
expresses a deeply rooted resentment towards the English because of what they
did to the Antiguans throughout history. At one point in her book, she makes a
short remark about her own personality: “So do you see the queer thing about
people like me? Sometimes we hold your retribution.” Thus, she expresses how
there is a fire inside of her that burns indefinitely with the disapproval of
all those related to Antigua’s dark past. It may sound like Kincaid is unjust
in her treatment of tourists and that she may very well be stooping to the same
level of generalized hatred as those who mistreated the Antiguans in the past,
but there is much more to it than that. She isn’t any ordinary Antiguan that
read about the past and decided to hold a grudge. No, she was a child born in
that so-called past. The things she
describes in her book, she experienced them first hand as a child.
In the end,
are people who suffer not entitled to feel resentment towards those who caused said
suffering? Is it healthy or productive? Not necessarily. Morality and reality
seldom go hand in hand. It is difficult to judge such a person’s thoughts when
one has not lived through any of the things that person describes. In her own words:
“But nothing can erase my rage-not an apology, not a large sum of money, not
the death of the criminal.”
I'm with you again with your perspective about Kincaid. She's too complicated, too untraditional and of course too sarcastic that we become confused about what's she refering to and which position she's assuming. Besides of this, I think that she's amazing, because her way of thinking expressed on her book was extraordinary; original. I really enjoyed read your entry.
ReplyDeleteShe truly is an interesting and intense person.
DeleteYour closing paragraph definitely serves as food for thought.
ReplyDeleteIt served it's purpose then :).
DeleteHer way of writing is slightly complicated, but that is precisely what I liked about it. It is something different.
ReplyDeleteRefreshing isn't it? After reading so many science related works for our other classes, getting insulted by someone I don't even know through her book felt strangely refreshing. That doesn't sound right.
DeleteI love the entry and the book
ReplyDeletewe can feel her anger :DD oomg only good writers can change your mood like that.
It's easy to express sentiments with facial expressions and body language, but to do it through literature? It takes more than adjectives to achieve this.
DeleteI believe that human beings should be allowed to feel resentment as long as it doesn't go too far. We must recognize our limits and let go of the past in order to become healthy and fulfilled members of society.
ReplyDelete