Section 1 Summary

A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid is an opinionated essay cleverly disguised as a novel. There are no acting characters nor is there a plot. The narrator's voice gives her opinions of the many events and difficulties that have happened to the natives of the island of Antigua. A Small Place is a subjective description of the of government corruption and the lack of concern that the people of one nation has for the people of another. A Small Place also investigates the effects of slavery when the emancipated slaves are not taught how to be ordinary people.

Tourists arrive in the small island of Antigua by the V. C. Bird International Airport. They admire the beauty of the island, finding the nearby islands too green in comparison. The lush vegetation of neighboring islands indicates the likelihood of rain, which would ruin their...