Jamaica Kincaid, The Autobiography Of My Mother (1996)

Jamaica Kincaid, The Autobiography of My Mother (1996) is written based on fundamental premises that reflect upon basics of human rights as a promotion of human s right culture and relations. Most notably, the self-fashioning recounting has provided one of the most important channels for revealing the human who is subject to human rights. Kincaid in her book appreciates the authority of power; while on the other hand, she tries to cut links with authentic traditions (Bernard, pp. 116). She applies textuality in her book while recounting her personal experiences while paying little attention if any of general categories. Kincaid explores the sexuality of Xuela the main narrator in the book, who has a father who is half African and half†¦show more content†¦Xuela assets that she plans to have no children in future, therefore, being an independent woman. By the fact, Xeula was born in the colonial era a time when racism was so prevalent, and men had the power to rule over women informed the decisions she made as well as the woman she turned out to be. According to Bernard (pp. 125), Xuela portrays herself as a sexual victim who is abandoned and full of hidden and unacknowledged beauty. It can also be argued that her sexuality is affected by circumstances and the anger surrounding her personal life and reflects upon her family history due to the long colonial era in Dominica. Kincaid portrays Xuela an angry young girl, an angry woman, and despite the general assertion that her adult life was peaceful, it is apparent that she ended up as a bitter woman in the old age. Nevertheless, Xuelas personal assumptions in regards to her life misguide her into seeking more sexual pleasure experiences as a result of continued loneliness. Her father who did not recognize her as a child sends her away to stay with a different family. Hence, Xuela is far more exposed to the world, as an adolescent, she ends up making herself available to be seduced by a friend of her fathers, later on, Kincaid reveals that she seduced a doctor she was working for (Chick, pp. 95). It isShow MoreRelated Abandonment in Jamaica Kincaids Autobiography of My Mother Essay examples728 Words   |  3 PagesAbandonment in Jamaica Kincaids Autobiography of My Mother Xuela, the protagonist of Jamaica Kincaids novel, The Autobiography of My Mother , comments, I felt I did not want to belong to anyone, that since the one person I would have consented to own me had never lived to do so, I did not want anyone to belong to me (112). The outward coldness of this statement is clearly observed, but it is the underlying statement Xuela is making that is truly a significant theme within the novel; XuelasRead MoreAfrican Literature and Culture1447 Words   |  6 Pagesearlier works, the female gender was often perceived as â€Å"the Queen Mother.† Many African writers portray women in traditional roles whereas articles written in the past few decades analyze male-female relationships with a more feminist approach. This paper will analyze articles by leading African writers concerning the representation of the male-female relationship. In 1997, Jamaica Kincaid’s book entitled The Autobiography of My Mother opened the eyes of readers to the life of the protagonist and narratorRead MoreNegotiating Halls Caribbean Identity in Kincaids Annie John3215 Words   |  13 Pagesthe Caribbean people. Even though the article is intended by the author to represent the Caribbean people as a splicing of a number of different cultures, the processes Hall highlights are noticeable on an individual scale in the main character of Jamaica Kincaids novel, Annie John. Annie Johns quest for self-identification leads her on a path strikingly similar to the one Hall describes. From Annies journey, the reader might be able to glean what Hall hopes to instill in his own readers when