A Small Place

Kincaid sees that Antigua, as a former colony of the British Empire, deals with the legacies of slavery and colonialism on a near-daily basis. Kincaid and her fellow Antiguans can’t escape the reminders of their colonial history, as memorials to this period and to the “English maritime criminals” (24) who ruled over them are littered around the island. Streets are named after British naval officers who contributed to, profited from, and protected the slave trade. Antigua’s main bank, the Barclays Bank, is named for the Barclays Brothers, who made their money by selling human beings and then “borrowing from […] the descendants of the slaves and then lending back to them” (26), and all the government buildings on High Street are colonial-era remnants. In addition, the colonial memory stays alive in the continued celebration of British holidays and the British Monarchy. Kincaid notes how it’s ironic that Antiguans know how to celebrate their independence from the English only by “[going] to church and thank[ing] God, a British God” (9). This is because, she explains, colonizers stripped her ancestors of their religion and cultural traditions, so contemporary Antiguans know only the traditions of their oppressors. Kincaid also recognizes the influence of the English colonizers in the behavior of the corrupt government at the time she wrote the book.