In A Small Place, Knowledge and Power are Codependent Essay

Knowledge and power are considered two of the most important assets of a society. In the context of Jamaica Kincaid’s A Small Place knowledge could be defined as a set of proficiencies or expertise attained through experience and education and power as a control of one’s own circumstances. While knowledge and power are individually definable, they do not exist in isolation. Knowledge and power are mutually constitutive to one another. In her aggressive and expository essay, Kincaid successfully demonstrates through the use of several examples, that knowledge, which is a necessary precursor to power, is severely lacking in Antigua, which in turn limits the power Antiguans hold over their own society. Kincaid begins by pointing out to†¦show more content†¦And it must not be forgotten, that knowledge also includes an understanding of one’s own culture, nation, and personal history which might be represented by a public monument. Yet Antigua lacks all of these marks that may indicate to a vacationer, that there, knowledge dwells. Then Kincaid abruptly and sarcastically shifts the subject to the beauty of an island. What does a lack of education, medical and technological advance, and culture matter in an island so beautiful? Why would â€Å"you,† a tourist, care about the absence of knowledge in â€Å"your† vacation destination? Kincaid successfully points out in a mordant tone that, absurdly, a lack of knowledge in Antigua is considered unimportant in wake of the tourist-attracting splendor of the island. Kincaid continues using the perspective of the tourist to mark the absence of knowledge by discussing the cars driven by Antiguans. She writes that â€Å"you,† the tourist, â€Å"notice that all the cars you see are brand-new†¦but they have an awful sound.† (6) She continues to explain this predicament when Kincaid’s tourist thinks, â€Å"It’s because they use leaded gasoline in these brand-new cars whose engines were built to use non-leaded gasoline, but you musn’t ask the person driving the car if this is so, because he or she has never heard of unleaded gasoline.† (6) Kincaid directly points out that Antiguans are unfamiliar with the concept of non-leaded gasoline—something that is common knowledge to theShow MoreRelatedChild Poverty : An Advancing Social Issue Essay1568 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout this paper, discussions will take place on, child poverty, an advancing social issue in New Zealand. Also, reasons why child poverty is a social issue in New Zealand will be debated. 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