Jamaica

Growing up in Jamaica, an island where the majority of the population is of African descent, I never truly understood the controversies surrounding race and racial identity, simply because I never confronted it. For me, race and racial identity were just foreign concepts that, although I had read about at great length and while watching the international news, heard many accounts of various encounters with these concepts, these concepts never materialized fully in my daily life. Therefore, as a…

literally allows women to have their own space to write, but figuratively traps them in their own thoughts due to a lack of freedom. In the works of Jamaica Kincaid, Virginia Woolf, and Alice Walker, the female figures have shown how their own thoughts, reflection, and creativity could be used as a sense of freedom. In the short story, "Girl," by Jamaica Kincaid, the writer shows how a girl is misguided by an older adult. The adult in the story says," On Sundays try to walk like a lady and…

important relationships for a daughter is the one between her and her mother. In the past this relationship was more so to prime and prep the daughter to grow up and become a proper woman and mother. This can be seen in the short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid’s where the mother is literally teaching and molding the girl the way the mother thinks a women should be, and the daughter listens obediently. But in the short story, “Saving Sourdi” by May-Lee Chai you see a mother-daughter relationship…

From the Women’s Rights Movement, to today’s college campuses, women have been expressing their feelings towards the issue of sexism through writing. Sexism has left women feeling weak, unimportant, and worthless. However, writers have managed to use their craft to call out the sexist acts around them and bring awareness to the tough topic. Today, women continue to speak out against sexism, trying to finish the work of those that came before them. 1851, Sojourner Truth delivered a passionate…

basis. Both of these things act as adult figures that control your actions. Both of these things diminish the power you have over your own life. Even a harmless question or opinion can be met with a harsh response. I have experienced this just as Jamaica did at the end of the story. Sometimes it can be really hard to deal with, especially when I believe that these regulations aren’t in my best interest, but I think that I deal with them successfully most of the…

PLACE Barbados (1599-1635 C.E.): An island in the Caribbean sea which was larger than most islands that had been discovered in the Caribbean at the time. The island was able to accommodate colonist because of the climate and size of the island. It was also in a great location in the Caribbean which meant it was very accessible for exporting and importing. Barbados had a beautiful landscape it had no mountain terrain which was great for the colonist who went to live there. The best part of the…

A Woman’s Worth "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid reveals the overwhelming pressure on young women to look and act in certain ways in order to please men and society. Through the use of literary elements such as style, tone, and characterization, Jamaica Kincaid is able to place the reader into the shoes of a young Caribbean girl as her mother describes to her what she must do in order to protect her reputation and grow into a respectable woman. While there are many cultural topics specific to…

Image Expectations: A Comparison In the nearly not-a-short-story “Girl,” Jamaica Kincaid tells of a girl growing up in Antigua and receiving a long list of rules from her mother, while in the short story “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves,” Karen Russell writes about girls who were raised by wolves until taking in and reformed to fit into human society by nuns. Both stories have significant differences, but despite them, both “Girl” and “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves”…

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…

Living life under oppression with no freedom under the influence of others is not living life in joy. In "On Seeing England for the First Time" by Jamaica Kincaid she uses metaphor and repetition in order to convey her oppressed and bitter attitude toward England. Kincaid uses metaphors throughout the passage to show her oppressed attitude towards England. Since Kincaid was a child she has been introduced to the map of England, the European country that took control of their small Caribbean…