The reflective analysis of Kincaid’s observations, ideas and approaches as well as literary style will seek to elaborate the dynamics that dominate the global economy, as well as the economies of singular countries. Furthermore, the parallels between colonization and globalization shall be highlighted. This examination will effectively lead to an answer to the question of whether Kincaid seeks retribution and reparations or complete independence from the Political West and her former as well as current oppressors.
Introduction
„The IMF's fundamental mission is to help ensure stability in the international system. It does so in three ways: keeping track of the global economy and the economies of member countries; lending to countries with balance of payments difficulties; and giving practical help to members.“ (International Monetary Fund).
As the International Monetary Fund, only one of many organisations brought to life by the overwhelming advance of globalization, writes in its Vision Statement, its task is to contribute to the economic advancement or stability of member states. While this may objectively be perceived as an honourable quest, unfortunately its integrity is to be questioned, as Justin Edward in his book “Postcolonial Literature” writes, „ […] Western countries maintain a powerful presence in developing economies […]. This form of domination is fuelled by international financial institutions such as the IMF and the WB, both of which exert decisive forms of control […]. In order to qualify for loans or economic aid, the IMF and WB often force poor countries to make ‚structural adjustments‘ – to take steps favourable to the financial interests of the gaining institutions, but detrimental to eh economy of the underdeveloped nation […]“ (Edwards).
Evidently, Edwards does not only criticise the IMF but also identifies in it, an organisation that instead of advancing the development of economically disadvantaged countries acts in its own financial interest. The consequence of this being that the money stays with the rich and the poor are denied the alleviation of receiving the aid they were seemingly promised. Edwards goes on to argue, as does Homi Bhabha in his Essay “Foreword – Framing Fanon”, that while the world has seemingly moved on into a period of “Postcolonialism”, a majority of the power structures and dynamics of the Colonial Era, are not only still in place, but being actively reinforced by those who were formerly colonizers and are now the developed economies of the Western world (Bhabha),(Edwards).
This perspective reinforces the necessity to actively examine the power structures, which are still held in place by the global and political West and to put the current global world order into the perspective of Colonial history, thereby inevitably addressing the consequences that the imperialist ambitions and their relentless pursuit by Europe still have on formerly colonized people today.
“A Small Place” written by Jamaica Kincaid, an Antiguan author, in 1988 does exactly that and therefore shall pose as the subject of this essay.
The reflective analysis of Kincaid’s observations, ideas and approaches as well as literary style will seek to elaborate the dynamics that dominate the global economy, as well as the economies of singular countries. Furthermore, the parallels between colonization and globalization shall be highlighted. This examination will effectively lead to an answer to the question of whether Kincaid seeks retribution and reparations or complete independence from the Political West and her former as well as current oppressors.
A Small Place
“A Small Place” by Jamaica Kincaid is an examination of the Caribbean Island Antigua, where Kincaid was born and grew up. Kincaid explores the Island’s colonial history and heritage as well as the dynamics that exist between the country and the globalized, western world today.
It’s style and format allude to a typical travel guide. Effectively, the text explores different perspectives on and aspects of Antigua, which are separated in unnamed and unnumbered chapters. Nevertheless, a differentiation can be made between the parts:
The first one explores the view of a European or North American Tourist coming to Antigua for a holiday. Contrastingly, the second part is a description of the society and its dynamics during the colonization of Antigua by Great Britain while the third portion preoccupies itself with a look on the island in present day.
Kincaid ends her work by highlighting the beauty of Antigua simultaneously implying that a tourist does at all times have the choice to ignore the realities of the Natives, and enjoy.
The Tourist
The investigation into a Tourist’s perspective on Antigua covers many significant elements of the story as a whole. For one, Kincaid addresses the reader directly, as will be demonstrated in the following quote, “If you go to Antigua as a tourist, this is what you will see. […] As your plane descends to land, you might say. What a beautiful island Antigua is […]” (Kincaid).
Not only does this reinforce the feeling of reading a Travel guide for an “exotic” country, but also does it engage the reader into the story by making it personal to a white, western audience, as it references an experience many of them have presumably had before.
While elaborating on a Tourist’s experience in Antigua; from taking landing on the airport and taking a taxi to the hotel to eating a supposedly local and authentic meal while watching the locals go about their daily lives; Kincaid also explores the inauthenticity of exploring Antigua, (which in this case could be substituted by any non-western country). While, as already mentioned, sounding like a Travel Guide at times, Kincaid at the same time weighs in with subjective critique, highlighting the realities behind the surface of what the tourist experiences. Thereby she creates what reads like the parody of a Travel Blog.
In this manner, Kincaid keeps pointing out troubles, native Antiguans struggle with, which a tourist would remain unfaced by. She contrasts the perception of a naïve tourist with the insight of an Antiguan, thereby creating a juxtaposition of two people looking at the same thing and seeing something entirely different; as demonstrated in the following quote, “ […] You may be a sort of tourist who would wonder why a Prime Minister would want an Airport named after him – why not a school, why not a hospital, why not some great public monument? You are a tourist and you have not yet seen a school in Antigua, you have not yet seen the hospital in Antigua, you have not yet seen a public monument in Antigua.[…]” (Kincaid).
As can be seen above, Kincaid explores the perspective of a tourist, while simultaneously questioning and correcting it. While this particular quote does not directly name problems, that exist in Antigua, Kincaid doesn’t shy away from naming them in other parts of her text; as she writes for example, “[…] since you are a tourist, the thought of what it might be like for someone who had to live day in, day out in a place that suffers constantly from drought and so has to watch carefully every drop of fresh water used […] must never cross your mind.” (Kincaid). In this passage, Kincaid names the issue she is talking about more precisely, concretely talking about drought, a circumstance that affects locals everyday while a tourist will never be affected by it.
While this carefully installed juxtaposition is a very significant part of this section of “A Small Place”, there are other aspects also covered in it.
Another crucial component of the text is the criticism of the Western World and the way societies are structured in those kinds of economies. While, as already mentioned numerous times, Kincaid criticizes the tourist for not only being superficial but also finding joy in a situation that is harming the natives, but she also elaborates on the fact that the tourist is severely unhappy with the way their life is playing out. As she explains the tourist’s need for relaxation, sunshine and some time to “get away”, she reminds the reader of the urban jungles they come from. She reminds them of the isolation of feeling lonely in a crowd, of getting up too early and going to sleep too late all year around for the few vacation days, they are reading about currently.
As Kincaid puts it herself, “[…] From day to day, as you walk down a busy street in the large and modern and prosperous city in which you work and live, dismayed, puzzled […] at how alone you feel in this crowd, how awful it is to go unnoticed, […]” (Kincaid). Thereby, she captures perfectly the loneliness of living in a big city and successfully raises the question; if neither the Natives nor the Spectators are happy, who is? Without ever answering it.
Nevertheless, it is crucial in answering the question posed at the beginning of this essay.
In the Western World, the political narrative prides itself in the notion, that it has entered the phase of Postcolonialism and that the world is now not only a better, but a good place. Kincaid however opposes this idea by highlighting the troubles that exist for Antiguans up until this day, while also highlighting that the tourists, that spend their money to unwind on holiday on an island, full of struggling people, are struggling as well.
When asking in what way the circumstances of the current global economy should change in order to satisfy more people, the answer is often to support “developing” countries in their quest to enhance their efficiency but this never regards the fact, that the people in proficient capitalist countries are not happy either.
As Edwards puts it in his reflection on Kincaid’s work, “[…]The poor nation suffers from exploitation, poverty and marginalization, while the powerful country is caught up in perpetuating a vicious cycle of greed and consumption that causes a profound disconnect in their lives, displacing those at the centre of power from ethics morality and humanity.[…]” (Edwards). This aspect of “A Small Place” raises the question, if in addition to criticizing the Western World for causing and actively enforcing the disadvantage of peoples of colour, Kincaid’s critique focusses on the foundation of the global world: Capitalism and its consequences.
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