Imperialism is when a country extends its power over another country. Several smaller countries have been subjected to this as larger countries take over their country. The dominant country slowly removes original culture of the indigenous people who live in the country and replace it with their culture. Jamaica Kincaid has direct experience with the effects of imperialism as her country Antigua was under the influence of Great Britain until their independence in 1981. The authority that England had over Antigua led to Kincaid’s bitterness towards England. In her excerpt from “On Seeing England for the First Time”, Kincaid makes obvious her resentful attitude towards England through her description of her experiences at school and the food
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Kincaid begins the essay by sarcastically recalling how England looked when she saw the map of the country in class for the first time. She refers to England as “a very special jewel” that “only special people got to wear”. She also states that England looks like “a leg of mutton”, lying on a “bed of sky blue” The author uses metaphors to compare England to expensive items, such as jewels and meat to mock the extremely high pedestal that the citizens of Antigua put England on. Kincaid later reveals her school teacher’s attitude towards England. She remembers that when her teacher said the name England, she said it with “authority, seriousness, and adoration” and made the students “draw a map of England” on everyone. The author’s diction in explaining her teacher’s immersive admiration of England ridicules the strong appreciation that her teacher and other Antiguans have towards England. Finally, Kincaid elucidates her own personal feelings about England when she saw the map . She explains how she did not care when she saw the map of England as she had no longing to “put a shape” to England and was thankful that she was “unable to draw a map of England”. She even compares drawing the map to “a declaration of war”. Despite the huge influence England has on her life, the writer is very uninterested in learning about the country or even drawing its map. Kincaid communicates her dislike for England through her memories of
Kincaid begins the essay by sarcastically recalling how England looked when she saw the map of the country in class for the first time. She refers to England as “a very special jewel” that “only special people got to wear”. She also states that England looks like “a leg of mutton”, lying on a “bed of sky blue” The author uses metaphors to compare England to expensive items, such as jewels and meat to mock the extremely high pedestal that the citizens of Antigua put England on. Kincaid later reveals her school teacher’s attitude towards England. She remembers that when her teacher said the name England, she said it with “authority, seriousness, and adoration” and made the students “draw a map of England” on everyone. The author’s diction in explaining her teacher’s immersive admiration of England ridicules the strong appreciation that her teacher and other Antiguans have towards England. Finally, Kincaid elucidates her own personal feelings about England when she saw the map . She explains how she did not care when she saw the map of England as she had no longing to “put a shape” to England and was thankful that she was “unable to draw a map of England”. She even compares drawing the map to “a declaration of war”. Despite the huge influence England has on her life, the writer is very uninterested in learning about the country or even drawing its map. Kincaid communicates her dislike for England through her memories of