Postcolonial elements: language, land and tourism in Jamaica Kincaid's A Small Place

Abstract

This dissertation analyses Jamaica Kincaid’s A small place, a Caribbean island named Antigua, from historical and geographical backgrounds. It shows, how the land was discovered and settled down throughout its history. Then it focuses on the role of the language and its impact on the life of the locals. It explores how the language of the colonizer, regarded as an imposed tool, turns out to be the language to question the very bases of colonialism. This language imposed also creates the educational system, the thoughts and emotions of the inhabitants. Another point my dissertation concentrates on is the way the Europeans began the exploitation of natural resources. It poses a question: Does the land react in any way to all the exploitation? Is the land able to combat this cruelty and ill-treatment? No more a colony of the British empire, Antigua goes through the postcolonial period, while facing a new kind of colonialism and that is tourism industry. Tourism industry aims to create more jobs, more money and more facilities for the locals, however, what is observed is poverty among people, and prosperity of the government, therefore, the contradictory role of tourism is emphasised. I also explore how the land has continuously been spoiled by the neo-colonialism and tourist industry. Furthermore, the idea of how Antigua symbolises the Edenic Garden is presented. The way the inhabitants perceive the tourists and vice versa creates a great deal of conflict and tension, even observed in the position Kincaid takes as both the outsider and insider. This study concludes with the emphases on the moment when postcolonialism and neo-colonialism merge.