About "A Small Place" by Kincaid

The book “A Small Place” commences describing the island of Antigua as a tourist would see it. By writing the story through this perspective, it is more interesting knowing the fact that its author, Jamaica Kincaid, is actually Antiguan, which she mentions in the first section. She has the ability to see her island from the outside as a tourist, but being part of the inside. Kincaid narrates the experiences and possible thoughts the reader might have if they were tourists visiting Antigua. She describes all the beauty the island offers, which are clear water beaches, friendly sun and delicious local foods, and the feelings these provoke in a tourist. Kincaid also talks about some harsh situations the locals live through, but always disguising it by the good time the tourist is experiencing since it’s supposed to be vacations, a time to relax and enjoy nature’s beauty.

As the narrative continues, while the tourist is “in” a taxi, Kincaid being Antiguan presents an insight of these features that reflect the island’s poorness. There is a hospital which Antiguans don’t even consider a good one, and those who are better financially travel to another country to get attended. The school and the library are also in poor conditions, especially the library which awaits repair since an earthquake in 1974. When the tourist finally arrives at the hotel, there is an image of the tourist enjoying the island’s beauty and wondering where everything in the island began and ended. Suddenly, Kincaid comes up with the idea of the tourist visualizing himself or herself as a tourist, the ugliness it represented. Finding pleasure in a place where natives found it full of boredom, and being envied by them for having such an ability of leaving your home and enjoying somewhere else.

 In the second part of the book Kincaid expresses the love for her island especially the old times where she grew up. She remembers it was a whole different island when Great Britain had possession of the island. There was racism due to that there was a time of slave trade, which was later outlawed. Kincaid recalls some buildings, such as the Barclay’s Bank and the Mill Reef Club, which were certainly founded and administrated by English, wealthy people. Every now and then, she repeated that they, Antiguans felt more superior among English, since they were so much better behaved than the uncivilized English. Kincaid tries to justify the island’s current situation by the oppression they experienced in the past as victims of colonialism.