#annie john

[strvngevsvngels]

From Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

[deutschtulips]

When I look at things in a certain way, I suppose I should say that the two of them made me with their own hands. For most of my life, when the three of us went anywhere together I stood between the two of them or sat between the two of them. But then I got too big, and there I was, shoulder to shoulder with them more or less, and it became not very comfortable to walk down the street together. And so now there they are together and here I am apart. I don’t see them now the way I used to. The bitter thing about it is that they are just the same and it is I who have changed, so all the things I used to be and all the things I used to feel are as false as the teeth in my father’s head.

Jamaica Kincaid

[litandlifequotes]

My unhappiness was something deep inside me, and when I closed my eyes I could even see it. It sat somewhere - maybe in my belly, maybe in my heart; I could not exactly tell - and it took the shape of a small black ball, all wrapped up in cobwebs. I would look at it and look at it until I had burned the cobwebs away, and then I would see that the ball was no bigger than a thimble, even though it weighed worlds. At that moment, just when I saw its size and felt its weight, I was beyond feeling sorry for myself, which is to say I was beyond tears. I could only just sit and look at myself, feeling like the oldest person who had ever lived and who had not learned a single thing.

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Annie John: A Novel

By Jamaica Kincaid.

[books-in-media]

Emma Watson, (Goodreads Account)

—Annie John, Jamaica Kincaid (1985)

[exitwound]

Then, still without saying a word, the Red Girl began to pinch me. She pinched hard, picking up pieces of my almost nonexistent flesh and twisting it around. At first, I vowed not to cry, but it went on for so long that tears I could not control streamed down my face. I cried so much that my chest began to heave, and then, as if my heaving chest caused her to have some pity on me, she stopped pinching and began to kiss me on the same spots where shortly before I had felt the pain of her pinch. Oh, the sensation was delicious—the combination of pinches and kisses. And so wonderful we found it that, almost every time we met, pinching by her, followed by tears from me, followed by kisses from her were the order of the day. I stopped wondering why all the girls whom I had mistreated and abandoned followed me around with looks of love and adoration on their faces.

Jamaica Kincaid, Annie John

[uselessatheart]

I was afraid of the dead, as was everyone I knew. We were afraid of the dead because we never could tell when they might show up again.

Jamaica Kincaid, Annie John

[theboywhocriedbooks]

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid 

[Goodreads]

The island of Antigua is a magical place: growing up there should be a sojourn in paradise for young Annie John. But, as in the basket of green figs carried on her mother's head, there is a snake hidden somewhere within. Annie John begins by adoring her beautiful mother, but inexplicably she comes to hate her. Adolescence takes this brilliant, headstrong girl into open rebellions and secret discoveries and finally to a crisis of emotions that wrenches her away from her island home.

Thoughts: 

This was a great read, I really enjoyed it. I read it for my post-colonial lit class, so obviously parts of our analysis was about colonialism. I think this is a great book to find some of those themes in because of its focus on the Caribbean that the characters live in but it’s also about growing up and becoming more independent. I think the writing was very captivating, I was immediately pulled into this girls life and wanted to see just where it was headed. I had to write a paper on it and I discussed the use of water and also death in it as signs for things such as growth and colonialism. I also read in some lesbianism but apparently thats up for debate. Either way, check it out because I am now going to go on about it in spoiler-y detail: 

The relationship between Annie John and her mother was a very big part of the story. It was interesting to see how it developed, even more so when her mother started backing away from her. I’m still not sure entirely of the reason but I can assume it was probably because she wanted Annie to grow up more and didn’t want to continue to baby her? But the way she goes about it doesn’t really suit that explanation well because instead of being a little more strict she is cold to Annie. This transfers Annies focus to others, like the girl she said she loved. 

Annie said she loved and I’m pretty sure even said she was in love with(?) a girl she became friends with and it seemed pretty freaking queer to me. The love that was discussed would be described almost as if it were romantic love but the author herself stated that she did not write it with that intention. I’ve come to realize that, to a degree, the authors intent in their works doesn’t really matter that much after they give their work to the world. 

Another thing we discussed in class was the themes of colonialism represented in the book, one being represented by water. The water of her island, the water of the rain, all of it tying in to when she got sick, and cleansing her soul. The idea that after the rain new life has arrived is very representative of the healing that our protagonist goes through.

Going further with the water symbolism there is a line that says “the sea never did go back to the way it had been” This, to me, screamed ideas of colonialism, or specifically post colonial ideas. If you look at it that way then it complicates things because the rain was supposed to have healed the land, like it healed her, but in doing so it changes it forever. Does this mean that she is changed forever? That the idea of a sickness or drought is colonial ideas and the rain purges them away but the land will still never be the same? It’s very interesting to think about, especially considering the fact that she ends up leaving on water to a new land, to the land where lots of colonization was sourced. Or something. 

Her interest with death was probably very symbolic of both growth and colonialism as well, with the changing of a person or place equating to the death or rebirth of someone. Either way it was very interesting to read about and analyze for class, and it helped me enjoy the book a little more overall.