Jamaica Kincaid

Fiona Cai Ms. Dunitz Freshman Composition 2 11/16/15 My Name is Annie John Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid tells the story of an evolving teenage girl as she comes to terms with her changing feelings about herself and her mother. Throughout the novel, the main character, Annie John observes the world around her in a subjective perspective as she yearns for freedom and self-awareness. Annie’s prominent sense of claustrophobia in growing up leaves her feeling utterly stifled by her parents, her…

first publication, she changed her name to Jamaica Kincaid. The name Jamaica comes from her Caribbean country Jamaica, Kincaid because it sounded good with Jamaica. Kincaid was born on May 25, 1949 (Stone 326). She grew up in Antigua and focuses most of her stories on West Indian mother, daughter relationships. Her short story, “Girl,” is a close relationship to her childhood experiences with her mother. At the age of sixteen, Kincaid moved to America (Kincaid, A to Z 161). She started working…

shame as the writers of history recognize that most of these events were the result of unnecessary violence and exploitation of both humans and nature. In her essay “In History,” Jamaica Kincaid attempts to break down the history of her people. It is an attempt at defining…

“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid and “If” by Rudyard Kipling both have a similar topic of a parent giving advice to their child. They have many similarities and differences. Girl is about a mom talking to her daughter, it is one long sentence, and the mom is helping her daughter. If is about a dad talking to his son, it is in stanzas, and the dad is helping his son. Both poems have a lot of differences. In Girl the text states,”This is how to sew a dress when you see the hem coming down…” In If the…

In Jamaica Kincaid’s essay A Small Place, the dominating concern with foreign control in the developing nation of Antigua is exposed through Kincaid's own personal experiences and observations as a native of the country. Above all, the vision of Antigua articulated by Kincaid presents itself as a standard for similar developing countries in regard to the encompassing effects installed by foreign involvement. In her essay, Kincaid draws a connection between two versions of Antigua, calling…

In the short story Everyday Use, by Alice Walker, the author portrays two very different lifestyles. Through the eyes of two daughters, Maggie and Dee, who have chosen to live their lives in very different manners, the readers can choose which character to identify most with by deciding which characters values suits them best. Dee, who goes out to make a name for herself while leaving her past behind, in comparison to Maggie, who stays back with her Mama and makes the most of the surroundings…

A Fearless Girl Who Only Cares About Her Heritage “Everyday use” text is about a short story written by Alice Walker in the 1970s. As, “Everyday use” a film version by Bruce Schwartz released in 2005. In the “Everyday Use” text Mama is telling a short story about a single mother with two daughters. In the text Mama explains, that her two daughters are quite different from each other. Dee a young wild woman who is willing to search and make a vivid image of her heritage. Maggie a shy,…

In the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” American writer, Joyce Carol Oates, introduces the readers to naïve Connie, a self-absorbed teenage girl, who refuses to comply to her mother’s wishes and live up to her responsible older sister, June. Oates skillfully implements the fictional element of symbolism, connecting an object to an underlying meaning in a way to represent ideas or qualities, in order to stress her message to the readers of her work. Joyce Carol Oates…

In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, an autobiography by Maya Angelou, Ritie (Maya), the main female character, is raised mostly by other female characters, who each teacher her how to cope with different situations and problems in life. Ritie’s relationships with her three strongest, female relatives help her grow up to be a survivor, because they each teacher her to have a characteristic of themselves; Momma teaches Ritie to be disciplined and moral, Grandmother Baxter teaches Ritie about…

The slam poem I chose is Shrinking Women by Lily Myers. This is a poem about the importance of teaching positive family values, self-worth, and the result of societal pressure on women. It is an introduction into the narrator’s life, and the generations of women who are trained to be quiet and not take up room. It spreads awareness about these issues, and hopefully inspires people to think differently or make a change. This poem weaves in its message with the narrator’s own experiences with…