A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid (1-52)

Synthesis:
This first part of A Small Place is divided into roughly two sections the introduction being a
description of Antigua from the point of view of a hypothetical tourist where she takes on an
outsiders perspective. Through the eye of this tourist, she portrays the natural beauty of the
island and the seemingly pleasant lives of the people of Antigua, but she also inserts several
more critical views about the reality of Antigua for example how the mansions on the island are
owned by criminals and corrupt officials or that expensive Japanese cars are commonly found
because of government manipulation.. The second section focuses mostly on her description of
Old Antigua during the time of the British occupation, mentioning the obvious racism and how
Antiguans were made to serve their colonial masters. In the third section narrator talks a lot
about Antigua during the colonial period and how sometimes she wonders if it was a better place
back then compared to their current state. She then closes the novel by describing the natural
beauty of the island and talks about how the slaves brought to Antigua were noble but since the
English left Antiguans have become just human beings.

Key points:
The insider and outsider view; Kincaid gives us a good example of the different views of a
society depending on whose perspective it is looked at.
Colonialism and its impact on culture; the forcing of colonial culture onto a local population and
its effect on that population is also a major focus.
When there are different cultures existing in similar areas it is almost natural for them to consider
themselves to be superior to the other, which is what she means by the noble Antiguans but now
that the colonists have left they are only just human.

Questions:
The idea of an internal and external view is one that has been asked by many individuals but how
exactly do we achieve such a difference in view? Must cultural study only be done by individuals
within that culture?
Why does colonization affect culture so adversely? It is impossible for a society to combine two
different cultures or must one be replaced by another?
Why is the tendency for cultural superiority so common? What makes cultures believe
themselves to be superior or more civilized than others?
How do ideas and practices spread through a culture and become a part of it? (like the way the
English language is now a part of everyday Antiguan life)