Jamaica Kincaid Biography
Jamaica Kincaid began her life as Elaine Cynthia Potter Richardson, but she changed her name in 1973 because her family did not approve of her writing career. She began composing articles for Ingenue Magazine and The New Yorker. Her first novel, Lucy, is somewhat based on her experience of being born in Antigua and moving to the United States. She explored these same themes in her earlier book Annie John. Another of her important works is The Autobiography of My Mother, which tackles issues of colonialism. Kincaid has also written short stories and essays, and she teaches creative writing at Harvard University. She has said of herself, “I’m someone who writes to save her life. I mean, I can’t imagine what I would do if I didn’t write.”
Facts and Trivia
- Kincaid studied photography at the New York School for Social Research and also attended Franconia College in New Hampshire for one year.
- In addition to writing, Kincaid is an avid gardener and has written many articles about gardening.
- Kincaid married Allen Shawn, the son of her boss at The New Yorker. They have two children, but divorced in 2002.
- Kincaid often writes about mother-daughter relationships and other feminist themes. She says, “I don’t really write about men unless they have something to do with a woman.”
- Although Kincaid worked for The New Yorker for many years, the magazine refused to publish her nonfiction book A Small Place because of its tone, which was seen as too angry.
The Autobiography of My Mother
Jamaica Kincaid's novel begins with the stark, paradoxical announcement by its narrator, Xuela, that "My mother died at the moment I was born, and so for my whole life there was nothing standing between myself and eternity." This sets the stage for an exploration of profound themes such as life, identity, and meaning. The narrative, woven with irony and lyrical prose, promises a journey through the complexities of the human experience.
The Irony of Title and Existence
The book begins with the intriguing subtitle "a novel," which hints at the layers of irony embedded within the story. The juxtaposition of "autobiography" and "novel" sets the tone for a narrative rife with contradictions, much like the life of Xuela herself. She is a childless woman who aborted her pregnancy at sixteen, yet her life is a rich tapestry of love, loss, and the painful irony of relationships. Xuela's romantic journey is marked by her love for a married man, Roland, and her marriage to Philip, a doctor who adores her but whom she cannot bring herself to love. Kincaid's masterful writing uncovers the fruits of a life steeped in irony, offering a narrative that is both refreshing and bleak.
Recurring Themes in Kincaid's Work
Jamaica Kincaid is no stranger to exploring the intricate and often tumultuous relationships between mothers and daughters. Since her debut with At the Bottom of the River in 1983, Kincaid has delved deeply into this subject matter, crafting stories imbued with irony and pathos. Her short story "Girl," for example, distills a lifetime of frustrations into a series of motherly instructions. The compactness and poetic nature of these stories enable the reader to not just read, but also experience the emotions and images they evoke. Her subsequent novel, Annie John, continues this exploration through a more conventional prose style, yet preserves the lyrical quality of her earlier work. Together, these works form a profound commentary on the development of a creative young girl, a theme Kincaid returns to with The Autobiography of My Mother.
Exploring the Full Spectrum of a Life
Unlike her earlier works, The Autobiography of My Mother offers a comprehensive view of a character's entire life. The childhood segments resonate with the same wonderment and longing found in Kincaid's previous novels, albeit with heightened emptiness and longing. This duality is captured in a vivid early scene where Xuela encounters a mysterious woman bathing in a stream—a story that enters mythic status among her peers but holds personal significance for her. This incident encapsulates Xuela's belief in outcast powers and self-affirmation. Through these stories, Kincaid portrays the pain of living as a colonized subject, an ever-present theme in her work.
The Weight of Colonization
Colonialism's impact on personal identity is a central theme in Kincaid's writing, particularly emphasized in The Autobiography of My Mother. School becomes a microcosm for colonial indoctrination, with Xuela's first exposure to the written word occurring through a map labeled "THE BRITISH EMPIRE." Her teacher, an African woman, embodies the internalized self-loathing that colonization can instill. Language becomes a vehicle for identity, as Xuela's stepmother uses a French patois to undermine her legitimacy within the family. These dynamics reflect the broader societal tensions and personal struggles inherent in colonial and post-colonial life.
Intricate Interpersonal Relationships
Throughout her life, Xuela's interactions with others are marked by a complex interplay of self-possession and emotional detachment. Her stepmother's seeming act of kindness—a necklace given to Xuela—quickly turns sinister, resulting in the death of a dog to whom Xuela gives the necklace. This incident typifies Xuela's skepticism toward gestures of warmth and...
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underscores a recurring theme of self-protection at the cost of emotional connection. Xuela's refusal to hate her half-sister, instead adopting a distant pity, exemplifies her emotional self-preservation—a trait that both shields and isolates her.
Love, Loneliness, and Self-Will
Xuela's relationships with men further illuminate her guarded nature. Sent by her father to live with the LaBattes, Xuela becomes the mistress of Monsieur LaBatte, a situation facilitated by his wife. Her subsequent depression mirrors similar episodes in Annie John, and it is during this period that Xuela reveals her name. Her decision to abort a pregnancy from this union symbolizes her assertion of self-will, a decision she ultimately accepts as an exercise in god-like control over her destiny. Xuela's later affair with Roland, and her musings on marriage, highlight her detachment from societal norms and expectations. Her marriage to Philip, devoid of love yet tinged with tenderness, becomes a poignant reflection of her earlier decisions and emotional journey.
The Godlike Distance
In the story "My Mother" from At the Bottom of the River, a daughter's view of her mother as godlike prefigures The Autobiography of My Mother, where Xuela, in many ways, assumes a godlike role in her own narrative. Her life becomes a testament to the power of self-determination and the costs of emotional isolation. By the novel's end, Xuela longs for the release of death, "the thing greater than I am, the thing to which I can submit," a stark acknowledgment of the limits of her self-imposed autonomy. Through Xuela's story, Kincaid presents a haunting exploration of survival and the psychological toll of a life lived without surrender to love or pain.
