A small place called Home

"Antigua is a small place. Antigua is a very small place. In antigua, not only is the event turned into everyday, but the everyday is turned into an event" 

Sometimes, when we are on vacation in a different place away from home and all the work that we have to deal with every day in our respective lives, we find that place a dreamland, like we are locked out of heaven. For the people that lives in that place, reality is different, and cruel.

Jamaica Kinkaid, author of the novel "A small place", talks about the reality that Antiguans face every day in a small island in the caribbean called Antigua, still dealing with social, cultural, and political issues from the past. Antigua wan an English colony, and in november 1st 1981, Antigua obtained independence. Unfortunately, Antigua never progressed as an independent island, and poverty and corruption took over the island.

Antigua, a beautiful and sunny island (as described in the novel), is often visited by different tourists coming from different countries. According to the novel, tourists don't really know what it is happening on Antigua. According to Kinkaid, they care more about the sunny weather, be relaxed in the beach, eat "Local seafood". For Kinkaid, tourists are morally ugly that usually travels  to escape the boredom of ordinary life." They want to see new thing and people, see the beauty of Antigua; they do not understand the corruption and social deterioration that the island is going through. That is why Antiguan people hate tourists, as well they envy their lifestyle, gesture, etc.

According to Kinkaid, corruption is related to colonization in that it is a continuation of the oppression of colonialism. Antigua was never able to recover to become what it used to be when they were Great Britain's colony. Kinkaid tells that Antigua is not the same island as it was when she was young. For example, the library was damaged a long time ago, and has not yet been repaired. It has only a sign that says "to be repaired soon". The people from Antigua never taught how to be ordinary people, especially in a beautiful island they call home.

These two major problems that Kinkaid presents in her Short novel, also occurs in different places around the world, especially in Puerto Rico. Poverty and Corruprion is also an everyday's issue that affects all social classes of puerto rican society. This social disease is growing every day and it will guide us to cultural deterioration.

One quality that caracterizes puerto ricans are their hospitality, but throughout the years this has been changing. I remember that I was in Old San Juan and a few people were making jokes about the tourists because they were lost in the city. They were joking instead of helpig them. Also, like Antigua, Puerto Rican economyhas been deteriorating because of the politicians that has been controlling our island. Also, people really want to "earn" their money in an easy way, like corruption, drug dealing, etc. These issues don't bother tourists, because they come to Puerto Rico only to enjoy the hot weather and drink piña coladas.

Kinkaid's short novel made me think about my actions, not only as a tourist, also as a local. If we want to progress as a country we need to educate society and promote values. We have the tools to rescue our island, but without the help and dedication of all habitants of the country, it will not be possible, and it will affect our little place called home.