Section 2 Summary

Antigua is no longer the same as it was in the narrator's youth. She pities the English and their ruined empire, though they do not realize the horribleness of their actions concerning slavery. She reminisces about the streets she grew up on that were named after English maritime criminals. She expresses her awe as a child of the Government House and its clean, white walls. She remembers seeing the putty-faced Princess, who disappeared quickly behind a wall.

The library in Antigua was open then but has been closed since The Earthquake of 1974, with a sign declaring that repairs are pending. She remembers the laws that were passed to prevent abusive language and the difficulty the English had in their attempts to determine what language was abusive.

The Barclay Brothers, who earned their wealth as slave traders, open Barclay Bank after slavery is abolished...