Seeing England For the First Time - 786 Words

On Seeing England for the First Time The effect of imperialism on small colonies is sometimes intrusive and constrained. Jamaica Kincaid devotes her essay, Seeing England for the First Time, to her profound mysticism she has towards England as she grows up on the island of Antigua before it becomes an independent country. With descriptive language, Kincaid reveals her frustration for England within the classroom and at her home through use of imagery and satire. The earliest memories of England Kincaid has is when she was in school as a child. Kincaid opens her essay with sarcasm by saying that England looks â€Å"[gentle, beautiful, delicate, like] a very special jewel; [laying] on a bed of sky blue- the backdrop of the map- its†¦show more content†¦However, being ruled by England, the educational curriculum teaches that England is a place where people got â€Å"a sense of what’s meaningful [and] meaningless†, proving that England people are brainwashed to falsely think that a country like Engl and is also a place of virtue. Kincaid’s frustration roots from seeing people be infatuated with England when in reality, England is invasive, disrespectful, and mendacious. Although Kincaid sees England for the first time in the classroom, English culture is all around her, even in her home. Each morning before she leaves for school, Kincaid describes eating â€Å"a breakfast of half a grapefruit, a bowl of oat porridge, bread and butter and a slice of cheese, and a cup of cocoa†. Even with the food she eats, Kincaid is showing how her life is closely intertwined with the English lifestyle. The lengthy description of her typical morning meal mocks the lavish English lifestyle and proves that her life is heavily influenced by English customs. She describes each box or article of clothing to have â€Å"Made in England† labeled on it, which plays as an ironic, subtle reminder that while Kincaid and her family live in a colony owned by England, they do notShow Mor eRelated Jamaica Kincaids essay On Seeing England for the first Time2315 Words   |  10 PagesJamaica Kincaids essay On Seeing England for the first Time Its shit being Scottish! Were the scum of the fucking earth! Some people hate the English. I dont. Theyre just wankers. Were the ones what were colonised by wankers. We couldnt even pick a decent bunch of people to be colonised by. -Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting The cultural ties to empire are not so easy to efface as the political ones. This is perhaps one of the most important lessons the world has learned from theRead MoreAltered Self-Image According to Thiongo, Orwell, and Kincaid1211 Words   |  5 PagesShooting an Elephant, George Orwell presents imperialism metaphorically through the use of animals to illustrate the power and instability of imperialism. Jamaica Kincaid focuses her essay, On Seeing England for the First Time, on how her view of England ultimately changes when she visits England for the first time. All three writers make a clear point on how alienation affects an individuals life. The writers say that alienation affects an individuals self-image due to the views that were forced byRead MoreSimilarities Between Imperialism And Post Colonialism1606 Words   |  7 Pagesare all a very important part of history. Each of these are present in the writings for the topic of the essay. The three writings that will be discus sed are Clarice Lispectors The Smallest Woman In The World, Jamaica Kincaids On Seeing England For The First Time, and Civil Peace by Chinua Achebe. Each of these writings give great examples of imperialism, colonialism, and post colonialism through different perspectives and from different parts of the world. The effects are shown throughout theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Little Flower 901 Words   |  4 Pagesby Marcel, her life finally has meaning because he encounters her. Their relationship implies that people or other nations are defined worthy or interesting according to western civilization. After seeing England for the first time The prefix â€Å"post† in â€Å"post colonial literature† does not refer to time â€Å"after† colonialism, but to â€Å"place†, that is to say, places away from the metropolis, seen as marginal and that have been suffering the process of imperialism; after all â€Å"it is not because the viceroyRead MoreCompare And Contrast Jamestown Vs Plymouth705 Words   |  3 PagesPlymouth In the 1600’s two different times colonists sailed from England to America. Both landed on the east coast of America. The first ship landed in what today is Virginia while the other one landed in Maine. One stuck together and worked to survive, but the other carried a prisoner and was a free for all. Both handled coming to the  ¨new world ¨ but we learn about both of the different dates today. To start off, the colonists of Jamestown left England to make money and become rich from â€Å"cashRead MoreTheme in Shakespeare in Love1207 Words   |  5 Pagesabout. John Madden’s Shakespeare in love is a ‘romantic comedy’ set in sixteenth century England. Through its two unfortunate protagonists, Will Shakespeare ‘a lowly player’ with writer’s block and wealthy Viola De Lesseps who dreams of ‘love as there has never been in a play,’ it explores the idea of ‘the truth and nature of love’ in the Elizabethan era. Madden portrays the harsh realities of the time through filmatic techniques such as dialogue, motifs and costuming to constantly remind theRead MoreWas Henry Viii Catholic or Protestant1718 Words   |  7 PagesHenry the VIII was the second English Tudor king, after his father, Henry VII. He reigned over England from, 21st April 1509 until, 28th January 1547. During his childhood and his first marriage, Henry was a firm believer of the Catholic Church and of the Pope. However things changed and later in Henrys reign the English reformation came to England; the monasteries were closed and Henry separated himself from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry was definitely starting to look more and more like a protestantRead MoreThe Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare1230 Words   |  5 Pagescontemplates all of his actions and options, prior to seeking revenge. Less than two months after his father’s death, Prince Hamlet’s mother Gertrude gets remarried to his father’s brother Claudius, which upsets the prince immensely. During Hamlet’s first important soliloquy, he states O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn’d longer,—married with mine uncle, My father’s brother; but no more like my father Than I to Hercules: within a month; Ere yet the salt of most unrighteousRead MoreJohn Ruskin s Impact On Society1254 Words   |  6 Pagesown power, and whereby we can incur no danger in disobliging England.† Smith also would concur with Ruskin’s quote because Smith, like myself and Ruskin, thinks individuality, boldness, and creativity are important when trying to create some sort of consequence. â€Å"On Seeing England for the First Time† by Jamaica Kincaid is also a prime case supporting Ruskin’s quote, with more of a long-term storyline. When Kincaid was a child, England was â€Å"laid out on a map gently, beautifully, delicately, a veryRead MorePersonal History - Brooke Auchincloss873 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom the narrator’s point-of-view. An example of the first person narrative is already in the opening line: â€Å"Yes I’m from New York† I say shifting my drink to my other hand.† This in-medias-res opening throws us right into the story without telling when or where we are. It informs us that the narrator is from New York, and indicates that she isn’t there at the moment. The setting of this dialogue is probably a bar somewhere in England, seeing that she has a drink, and that the one who answers her