NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Research Paper (1) We live in time when it became fashionable to defy the essence of Western civilization, by associating it with institutionalized racism and colonialism. What is very remarkable is the fact that those that make their living on pouring dirt on Western culture, are not in the big rush to get back to pre-colonial living, which they never get tired of praising. In fact, many critics of European colonialism prefer to immigrate to European countries, before beginning to expose wickedness of racism. Jamaica Kincaid is one of such individuals. Her official biography states that at age 17 she moved to New York, as if it was something absolutely ordinary, even though that she was born and raised in Antigua. Nowadays, many people from Third World countries are also trying to move to America, but they are rarely given the ranks of honorary professor at Harvard University, as it was the case with Kincaid.
Instead, they are being put on the plane and deported back to where they came from, when INS catches them. Why it was Kincaid spared of such fate? The answer is quite obvious she simply happened to be in the right place in right time, when the process of instilling White people with a sense of self-guilt was gaining a momentum. This is why Kincaid's literary talents came in handy. (2) A Small Place is nothing but the attempt, on the part of aborigine, to justify its own cultural inadequateness, by suggesting that it is a result of external factors alone. In her novel, Kincaid blames British colonists for all the evils in the world, while trying to convince readers that Antiguans would be much better off if Britons had never set foot on her native island. The fact that White colonists had built schools and hospitals, constructed roads, gave Antiguans alphabet and language and allowed them to use the spoils of Western civilization does not count, according to author.
Kincaid thinks that Antiguans would benefit much more from running around with spears in their hands, while killing each other in countless tribal wars, because she thinks that Britons deprived Antiguans of their national identity: When the oppressed adopt their oppressor's view of themselves -- a view designed to defeat them -- it incapacitates their affections. That is their defeat. The saddest and deadliest harvest of oppression is not the mutual hatred that is natural between those at the top and those at the bottom but the incestuous, unnatural hate within the family of the conquered (Kincaid, p. 45). Kincaid does not hesitate to use derogatory language, while describing oppressors.
She is actually filled with hate, but left-wing critics describe her hate as righteous. However, it does not take a genius to realize that Kincaid's hate is irrational. White colonists never engaged in genocide against natives in Antigua, therefore, her hard feelings towards colonists can be thought of terms of animosity that always exist between superior and inferior beings: Antigua is a small place, a small island... It was settled by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Not too long after, it was settled by human rubbish from Europe (Kincaid, p. 80). We need to understand that term rubbish Kincaid applies to all White people, without regard to their political affiliation, because for her, they are all the same.
She refers to them as European disease. At the same time, Kincaid is being regarded as promoter of peace and tolerance, which does not make a whole lot of sense. Nevertheless, we need to give Kincaid a credit of being honest with readers. Her frustration with current socio-political situation in Antigua is also directed at Antiguans, because, according to Kincaid, they were not able to resist the influx of Western culture. In fact, Kincaid's novel contains an explanation why native Antiguans are never going to enjoy high living standards, even though authors limited intellect does not allow her to realize it. There is one interesting episode in her book where she describes a library in Antiguan capital St.
John. The library was closed in 1971, because it needed to be renovated. Ever since, it was being renovated for 10 years, with no end in sight. Kincaid places the blame for this onto the local government, which does not understand the importance of citizens being able to develop intellectually. Still, it never occurs to the author that this library was being built by British for British. Locals were allowed to attend this library as everybody else, but they rarely bothered.
Ever since Antigua gained an independence, White people began to leave this country, therefore, there was no point in keeping the library well stocked and serviced, because, in order to able to get pleasure from reading, individual must be capable of operating with abstract concepts. However, this ability is genetically predetermined, which explains the fact why Antiguan language consisted of only 150 words, before the arrival of Europeans. Kincaid wonders why there is a need to have a ministry of culture in the country, where culture is non-existent and we can only agree with her. It is very ironic that, even though author tries to instill Antiguans with a sense of self-respect, she actually deprives them of it, by being honest with readers. This is why Antiguans do not like Kincaid and do not even think of her as Antiguan. In his article Antiguan Impressions - Antigua and Barbuda Jorge Arango says: Antiguans don't rush to embrace Kincaid as their native daughter.
Not surprising, as A Small Place was an extended rant against the mentality of her countrymen (Arango). Kincaid continuously refers to Europeans as an embodiment of evil, while admitting that Antigua was a better place to live under British colonial rule: This the Antigua I see before me, self-ruled, a worse place than what it was when it was dominated by the bad-minded English and all the bad-minded things they brought with them (Kincaid, p. 41). It is impossible to comprehend authors logic. Still, this is because, we apply a classical concept of a writer to Kincaid, while she is definitely something else.
There is no clearly defined plot in her novel; neither does it contain any political ideas, despite its political sounding. Author is frustrated with British and she also frustrated with Antiguans. Ultimately, she is frustrated with herself it only takes once to look at Kincaid's photo to confirm the validity of this statement. Because of this, she spews hate in all directions, which many naive people confuse with love to her people.
In our time, the legacy of colonialism is mostly talked about in negative terms. It is rightly suggested that colonial period in worlds history is marked with massive violations of aboriginal peoples rights. In addition, contemporary historians point to the fact that natural recourses in underdeveloped countries were being exploited in the most shameless manner. Yet, even now, there is a lot of injustice happening in the world and it would be naive to think that there are any moral obligations to be considered, when it comes to extracting economical profit. Kincaid fails to understand this simple fact.
Antigua was bound to be colonized. Even though that island was being discovered by Spaniards, they never had a chance to completely exterminate aboriginal people, as it was a common practice back then. Therefore, instead of feeling hate towards British, Kincaid should be thanking them for allowing her ancestors to live. Geopolitics cannot be discussed in terms of struggle between good and evil, as Kincaid does.
Stronger nations dominate the world and it is absolutely natural, because it corresponds to the laws of evolution. For thousands of years nothing was preventing Antiguans from progressing culturally and technologically. Nevertheless, they were never able to progress beyond the Stone Age, prior to arrival of Europeans. Islands small size has nothing to do with it, because the same can be said about savages in Africa, who had a whole continent at their disposal.
In his article What if you " re an incredibly unattractive, fat, pastry like-fleshed man? : Teaching Jamaica Kincaid's A Small Place Frederick Rhonda points out to Kincaid's dislike of tourists: Kincaid's accusatory "you" is evidence of a distinction between author and reader. In the essay, she describes tourists as "white, "ugly, "empty, "stupid, "fat, " and as "rubbish (Rhonda). It is obvious the she does not like seeing White people coming to Antigua. For Kincaid, her stance on this issue is absolutely moral, because, according to her, Antigua belongs to Antiguans and they have the right to decide on who they want to let in and who they do not. However, she denies the same right to Americans, who do not like seeing their country turning into multiracial melting pot, because of people like herself, who simply move in. (3) Very often authors are able to gain recognition, despite the fact that their works do not represent any literary value. This is because these works contain some powerful social or political ideas.
It is clear that Kincaid's novel is neither literary refined of politically powerful. The only reason why her novels are being critically acclaimed is that they promote the notion of White guilt. In its turn, the promotion of such guilt has nothing to do with reestablishing historical justice, as people like Jesse Jackson wants us to believe. The acceptance of this notion provides a legal ground for demands of monetary compensation.
It is all about money, as usual. Therefore, we can talk about Kincaid as talented person only in the context of her ability to work the system. There is no doubt that she knows how to write in English, however, it does not automatically makes her an outstanding writer. She is clearly incapable of actually expressing the essence of her stance on the issues she talks about; this is why her critics have to do it for her. However, the logical interpretation of A Small Place makes reader to come to absolutely opposite conclusions from what it was intended by the author. Antigua is a paradise on Earth, we can agree with Kincaid on this.
This is why people come to visit this island and the last thing they want to see is how local people meet ends. Can we blame them for this? Why do tourists need to be concerned about the fate of locals, when in Antigua it is possible to survive by simply laying on the beach and eating pineapples and bananas that fall of trees? Antigua is not Russia and Jamaica Kincaid is not Virginia Wolf, even though her ego is probably even bigger. Bibliography: Arango, Jorge Antiguan Impressions - Antigua and Barbuda. 2001.
Find Articles. Com. 27 Jun. 2007. web Antigua. 2007. Wikipedia. 27 Jun. 2007.
web Colonialism. 2007. Wikipedia. Jun. 27, 2007. web Kincaid, Jamaica. A Small Place.
New York: Penguin, 1988. Phillips, Caryl Out of Africa. 22 Feb. 2003. Guardian Unlimited. 27 Jun. 2007. web Jackson, Thomas What is Racism? 2 May, 2001. Stormfront. Racialist Library. 27 Jun. 2007.
web Rhonda, Frederick. What if you " re an "incredibly unattractive, fat, pastry like-fleshed man"? : Teaching Jamaica Kincaid's A Small Place. 2003. Find Articles. Com. 27 Jun. 2007.
web Abstract: This paper discuses Jamaica Kincaid's novel A Small Place from literary, historical and psychological perspectives. Outline: Introduction Main part Conclusion
Free research essays on topics related to: western culture, small place, political ideas, western civilization, white people
Research essay sample on Western Civilization Small Place
