We have not experienced war, but also no stranger to colonialism. Colonialism is an aggressive policy by which powerful countries use various aggressive means to turn backward countries into their colonies. “A Small Place” is political narrative prose published by Kincaid in 1988 that accused colonialism and rebuked the Antigua government.
Antigua is a small island nation in the West Indies that has been under British colonial rule for a long time, and it has gained independence after breaking away from colonialism but continues to be poisoned by neocolonialism. Neo-colonialism is an indirect and concealed method of colonial aggression adopted by Western powers after World War II. Due to the vigorous rise of the national liberation movement, imperialism could not continue the old colonial policy and instead used economic advantages to carry out economic and political actions against non-Western countries, continue to control the country that has gained political independence. The new colonists are the continuation of the old colonists, and “tourism” is one of the forms of neo-colonialism. Tourism, as the pillar industry of Antigua, is actually still controlled by the United States, Britain, and other countries. The Antigua government continued to cooperate with colonial rulers for personal gain, forming a class basis for the continuation of tourism colonialism. Kincaid pointed out that although Antigua has become independent on the surface, the colonists continue to exist under the name of “tourism”, the local people are still suffering.
In the face of the lingering legacy of the old colonial and the trauma of the new colonial, Kincaid did not suppress her inner anger, or adopted a gentle and euphemistic tone like other writers of her generation, but used her “cursive” style. As a “descendant of the colonized” who immigrated to Europe and America for many years. She angrily exposed the illusion created by the colonists, presented to the world the real history and current situation of the colony, and expressed her hatred of colonialism and hatred of the incompetent Antigua government. In today’s globalization with the theme of peaceful development, there are still many places controlled by colonial countries like Antigua described in “A Small Place”. The independence and prosperity of those areas and the equality and well-being of the people are nowhere in sight. Kincaid wrote history and reality, truth and illusion with its extremely tense, frank, and unique language charm, which made me fall into deep thinking.
Kincaid, Jamaica, et al. “A Small Place Section I Summary and Analysis.” GradeSaver, www.gradesaver.com/a-small-place/study-guide/summary-section-i.
Published by E. M And View all posts by E. M And, et al. “Jamaica Kincaid: A Small Place; Literary Analysis and Review.” Things of Interest, 31 Mar. 2018, thingsofinterestweb.wordpress.com/2017/03/19/jamaica-kincaid-a-small-place-literary-analysis-and-review/.
Smith, Haley, et al. “A Critical Analysis of ‘A Small Place’ by Jamaica Kincaid.” The Odyssey Online, 15 Oct. 2019, www.theodysseyonline.com/critical-analysis-of-small-place-by-jamaica-kincaid.
This article goes to show that because a country has gained their independence from another, it doesn’t always stop there. It’s amazing how something such as tourism goes right under most people’s noses and is still in fact a form of colonialism in the certain spots. This also makes me think of other countries, other than Antigua, that have high amounts of tourism and attractions for individuals foreign to the country.
A lot of people who don’t come from countries that have been colonized don’t realize the big impact colonization still has on those countries. It’s sad to see how over time their colonizers still have control whether it’s socially or politically.
Tania Velazquez I defiantly agree with you on how there is such a big impact from colonization, there is such a control pattern when it comes to colonizers that even I believe still could and does take place today!
In general, I notice that when people visit new places, they usually gravitate towards the touristy attractions. Because of this, I feel like it can be easy to overlook the challenges the locals face when visiting a country as a tourist. Especially when you’re visiting a place for a short amount of time, it can be hard to really gain a deeper understanding of that place from a local’s point of view. Colonizers hold a lot of power and control and it’s important to acknowledge this and what this means for people that experience it on the daily.
I think this is a great perspective on colonization. Neo-colonization is definitely an issue and there should be actions taken to solve it. While increasing globalization is great and investing business in less wealthy nations can have benefits for all parties involved, there are definitely some issues that need to be fixed to ensure these countries are truly free.
This is a a good presentation. I was unfamiliar with the term neo-colonialism but it makes sense now. Many former colonies are still attached to the colonizing nations through tourism or other economic incentives. This is similar to former slaves in America becoming sharecroppers on the same land that they were enslaved on for decades.
This is a a good presentation. I was unfamiliar with the term neo-colonialism but it makes sense now. Many former colonies are still attached to the colonizing nations through tourism or other economic incentives. This is similar to former slaves in America becoming sharecroppers on the same land that they were enslaved on for decades.
I think your post was very well written. You described a lot of terms and gave analysis to the reading and its background meaning. I was not super aware of what neo-colonialism was, but after reading your post I understand a lot more about it than I did before. It also makes more sense knowing the meaning and connecting that to the reading along with other events that have happened throughout history. Along with this, I think your description of the reading along with the authors meanings and interpretation was very in-depth. Overall, your post was informative and provided a lot of description regarding terms and the reading.
Hi wang.12741, I think you did a great job for your context presentation this week, and in particular, I really like the way you explain what neocolonialism is and how this is still at work today. Your context presenentation and the idea of the tourism industry as a form of western colonial control is certainly a provocative and interesting concept that I am looking forward to continue to explor throughout this weeks assingments. Many places around the world, as you noted, that are hailed for their natural beauty, “authentic” culture, and serenity are uphelp by tourism which is really a lot like a puppetmaster dynamic with the west at the helm. I would be very interested, however, to learn and study ways to fight such a dynamic in the world today.