Jamaica Kincaid and the rewriting of other as self

Abstract

"In her non-fiction work A Small Place, Kincaid writes “I met the world through England, and if the world wanted to meet me it would have to do so through England” (33). Raised in a society where an European value system was enforced has created a conflict in Kincaid’s identity formation. Her struggle to achieve a sense of identity that may integrate the demands and contradictions presented by an European/Caribbean upbringing surface in her writings while bringing to the fore the implications of colonialism on the formation of a Caribbean identity. Importantly, Kincaid makes use of her colonial upbringing and through it she is able to revise history, reclaim a voice, and redefine an identity. As Diane Simmons notes, “In her decision to use, rather than repress, her colonial education, Kincaid may be in the vanguard of a new generation of post-colonial writers” (57)."