Jamaica Kincaid: Bio (1)

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Jamaica Kincaid Bio (1)

• Born Elaine Potter Richardson in St. Johns,
  Antigua in 1949
• father a carpenter and cabinetmaker,
• mother a homemaker and political activist.
• Left Antigua when she was 17.

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Jamaica Kincaid Bio (2)

• As the eldest of four, and the only girl, she was
  apprenticed to a seamstress, then plucked from
  school, where she was excelling, and sent to the
  US as an au pair ("really a servant")
• changed her name to Jamaica Kincaid because her
  family disapproved of her writing.

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Antigua

• A lot more blacks than white people
• No experience of freedom apprenticeship after
  Emancipation in 1834. Freedom was immediate but
  total. (Murdoch 99)
• A British colony till 1967.

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Kincaid and Antigua

• Within the structure of the British educational
  system imposed upon Antiguans, Kincaid grew to
  "detest everything about England, except the
  literature" (Vorda 79).
• Expressed the anger at the failure of Antigua
  independence in her novel A Small Place.
• Strongly critical of colonialism

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Kincaid about her mother

• She "should never have had children."
• She loves us when were dying - not when were
  thriving because then we dont need her.

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Mother-Daughter Relationship in Annie John

• Major Factors
• Caribbean society a male-dominated society in
  which the men are allowed to be irresponsible
  about housework, and enjoy sexual relationships
  outside marriage.
• Mother as a social institution
• A young girls socialization feminie Oedipus
  complex

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Mother-Daughter Relationship in Annie John
Examples

• The Circling Hand -- Forced to separate
  herself from the mother sent to be educated,
  witnessing the parents sexual intercourse
  (primal scene).
• Columbus in Chain mother turned into a
  crocodile p. 84
• being called a slut by her mother after
  conversing with a boy -- Well, like mother like
  daughter (p. 102)

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Annies independence process

• Pre-occupation with death
• Pre-Oedipal symbiosis with the mother
• Girl friends (Gwen, Red Girl)
• Resisting British education (Columbus in Chain)
• Exploring her own sexuality
• fascination for the father (112-13)
• Illness grandmothers (Ma Chess) care-taking
  -- a substitute for the mother (pp. 125-26)
• Leaving Antigua

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The Circling Hand

• 1. The symbiotic state (pp. 13-25)
• Examples of the daughters complete
  identification with the mother. pp. 13- 19
• What kind of gender model does the mother offer
  Annie? What role does the father take in this
  part? e.g. p. 13-14 25
• Whats the significance of the trunk? P. 20

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The Circling Hand (2)

• Separation the changes
• in Annies body p. 25 p. 27
• her dresses p. 26
• her schooling -- p. 29
• the mothers expectations of her pp. 28-29

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The Circling Hand (3)

• the primal scene
• the importance of the circling hand? P. 30
• What role does the father take after this scene?
  

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A Walk to the Jetty

• Contradictory signs of independence signs of
  nostalgia in this chapter?
• Name, address, her listing of what she never
  wants to see joy at not having to see them.
  pp. 130-132. her attention at whats hers and
  whats on her p. 134-35.
• remembering a lot the moment of getting out of
  bed 133
• contradictory feelings at the wharf 144 145,
  147

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A Walk to the Jetty Annies views of her
parents marriage

• What kind of family does Annie have?
• P. 132
• How do they look at her day of departure? pp.
  134-36
• Their interaction p. 136
• Gwen 137

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Walking away from the past (memories, education
and transitional objects)

• Ms. Dulcie the seamstress, p. 138
• first experience of buying things 139
• saving money
• interests that she has outgrown glasses,
  porcelain dog,
• library

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Indivuation through complete separation

• Can you relate to her need to leave the place
  forever? pp. 144-148
• Are you sympathetic with her hatred of the
  mother? Pp. 133