Mothers and Daughters in Kincaid's Annie John
Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid is a novel that focuses on the process of growing up, of coming to terms with one's family and heritage, and developing an autonomous identity. In a review of the book, Barbara Williamson (748) stated that the stories contained in the novel "are distinguished by their minute examination of Annie's relationship to her mother -- being in her mother's grace, being banished from her mother's protection, finally exiling herself." It is important to recognize that Kincaid, an Antiguan Creole, uses her own experiences and knowledge of her island culture to illuminate the story of Annie John and that to understand the story, one must also understand the culture and history in which it is positioned.
Arlene Scala (41) describes Antigua in the British West Indies as "an island wounded by the history of colonialism." This particular analyst believes the novel is "a rich text for bringing to the table issues relating to race, class, gender, and colonialism as well as mother and daughter relationships and a host of experiences in the life of a child growing into adulthood" (Scala, 42).
As written by Kincaid, the character of Annie John is a woman who "knows about her people's history of enslavement and colonialism" (Scala, 42). This knowledge is essential in understanding what occurs in Annie's family.
Kincaid (13-14) positions Annie within a family in which a male figure is dominate. Implicit in most patriarchal societies
is the status of the father or husband, which is superior to that of women. Men are allowed to be sexually unfaithful to their wives and to take a limited role in caring for the home and for children. Set against this is the expectation of women's own chastity. Annie John, for example, is called a slut by her mother because she has been observed talking with a boy: "Wella like mother like daughter" (Kincaid, 102).
D...