Corrupted Antigua

What would Antigua be like with help from other people? Antigua is the name of the small island in the Caribbean Sea, settling close to the Dominican Republic. Antigua is a beautiful island, however, this island is filled with corruption and the pain of Antiguans. Jamaica Kincaid reveals the negative images of Antigua in her essay. She writes an essay in the tone of rage toward the Europeans. Because of them her homeland is ruined and Antigua is swimming in a sea of suffering.

Ever since Columbus came to colonize Antigua, Antiguans have been chained to their weary lives, after all they took away from the Antiguan land in order to satisfy their needs. “The banks are encouraged by the government to make loans available for cars, but loans for house not easily”, Kincaid portrays the selfishness and the desire of money by Antigua’s government. Most of Antigua’s economy is dependent on the tourists, some of the ways that they can get money is from resorts. The Europeans’ actions are taking someone’s house and loaning it to other people. Although Europeans made some improvement to the land, all those improvements are for themselves, “the sign hangs there, and there more than decade later, with it’s unfulfilled promise of repair”. Unlike some countries, Antiguan can’t revolt against their government. They already suffer enough from these changes, and there is no way Antiguans can do anything against Europeans. “We have suffered the unspeakable of slavery, but the satisfaction to be had from ‘we made you bastards rich’”, is an expression of the Antiguans; they have been working hard since the Europeans came. They went though all the painful experiences, back then when they were slaves, and they still continue to struggle though their unspoken lives. Each of their profits from every drop of their sweat is going into the pocket of Antigua government. Because of Europeans, Antiguans still are suffering until this day, and no one does anything to change this system of corruption.

Although tourists can come from everywhere, for Antiguans, the image displayed in their minds of tourists is European. Even though the tourists come into Antigua very often, still none of them will recognize the sufferers, the Antiguans. “They use leaded gasoline in these brand new cars whose engines were built to use non-leaded gasoline”. Jamaica Kincaid states that it’s Europeans’ fault that Antiguans have the lack of education and resource. Also, she says “You passing a building sitting in a sea of dust and you think it is some latrines….. The building has a written on it Piggott’s school”. Every time tourists see broken buildings, all they do is just ignore the image. They might think these images will ruin their vacation. Even health care, only Antiguans know what it will be like with the 3 doctors for the whole island. However, nothing will change until they can see their reflection of themselves when they see Antiguans. Without education for their kids and no hospital for people, Antiguan will be suffering until the end of their lives. If only they can open their minds and their eyes, they will see the people and kids, which their future is only a blank paper, and people who are dying from the sickness in their own house must be helped. If only these devastating stories of Antigua could be rewritten, Antigua may turn out to be gorgeous from the inside and the outside.

Even though Antigua is full of beautiful environments, Antigua is completely opposite of the island. The situation, as always happen to the poor countries, is one where natives are colonized by the powerful empire. While some of them maybe in a better condition today. Still others continue to struggle in pain. Jamaica Kincaid is representing the voice of Antiguan, and she wants her people to live justly. If only Europeans stopped ignoring the problems in Antigua, perhaps if they can let Antigua be free without destroying it. Then clearly Antigua could be reborn to be like others uncorrupted countries. It may not erase the pain that European has created but it could builds a new future for them, for innocent humans beings in poverty that have few equal opportunities.