For week 15 we read a short novel called A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid. Kincaid wrote this with an audience in mind of those being a tourist or even more specifically a North American or European tourist who are visiting Antigua, which is a tropical island located in the Caribbean. Her book is set up in four different untitled sections but they go over first what the experience is like being a tourist there and then the author’s memories of what Antigua used to be like. She then goes over a timeline of how Antigua has developed over the years and ponders the question of if it was better before or after. The last section wraps it all up and distinguishes how such a beautiful island still has such a dark past, and the beauty that comes to the eye of the tourist is merely beauty and they do not know the hardships of being a real Antiguan.
Antigua was originally a colony of Britain until its residents faced destructive colonialism where they were imprisoned, used as slaves, and murdered. This led Antigua to have a weak government and an insanely high poverty rate where most Antiguans simply work service jobs that cater only to white tourists. They also are noted to be okay with all the corruption that is taking place in their home because they are used to it and it is simply what they think is normal now.
“Colonialism is defined as “control by one power over a dependent area or people.” It occurs when one nation subjugates another, conquering its population and exploiting it, often while forcing its own language and cultural values upon its people.” We can see this in relation to Antigua with Britain. We have learned in school now multiple times all of the negative effects of colonialism. Many of these negative effects are seen in present-day Antigua. But once a country is dug this deep into a whole it is very difficult to come out of. Since tourism is their greatest economic contributor and is also the largest market for jobs, it is very difficult for them to establish themselves and their economy without it.
Source:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/colonialism
Thank you for the great information, your introduction on Kincaid and Antigua was very helpful before reading A Small Place!
Great presentation this was very informative and the history you gave about the British colonies taking over the Antigua gave a insight on how they survived.
Hi, I thought you did a great job in providing context to the reading for the week. I think it’s really interesting how we as tourists tend to look over many of the hardships the people of a country might face. We are so caught up in enjoying ourselves and the surroundings that we rarely think of those who are suffering beside us. Kincaid definitely opened my eyes as to what being a tourist is truly like. Great post!
Hi,
Throughout history, there are obviously many examples of colonization. It seems as if the country that’s being colonized needs are ignored while they are being exploited for the colonizer’s gain. I have heard of antiga in the past, but didn’t know of its history. It is sad hearing how the people and their land is still being exploited today by tourism and the struggles that come form it.
Hello!
Your background on Antigua was definitely very helpful before starting the readings for this week. I did not realize how harshly Antigua was impacted by colonization, and it was interesting to learn more about.
Great job!
Hey! Great job on this context presentation. I think it is very important for us to continue to learn about colonization because often times the colonizer is the single story writer which we learn from. Instead, we should be educated on all of the stories of what happened to each culture and country because of the dangers of colonization. Antigua is a very cool example to learn about because I personally have never learned about it! Thanks!
Hi, I enjoyed reading your presentation! It gave informative and interesting information on the background of the Antiguan people. It seems sad and unfair that they have gotten used to the corruption to the point where they feel it is normal.
Hello! Your context presentation was very well written and interesting to read. I appreciated the information you provided regarding the history of Antigua, as it is helping for context and visualizing the reading as we go. Great job!
Hi! Very interesting presentation! I have never heard of Antigua until we read this. It is sad to learn all the hardship this place goes through and how corrupted it is yet they are okay with it since it seems normal to them.