My Brother By Jamaica Kincaid Analysis

Any death becomes a topic that many consider to be difficult to talk about. No one wants to talk about a the illness HIV on a Caribbean island where almost everyone who contracts the disease will not survive. At this time, within society, no one wanted to talk about death from AIDS, yet the commonality in the culture makes it almost impossible to avoid its effects. Despite the vast spread, any person who has contacted the disease will not be able to live a normal life with everyone being aware of their situation. In My Brother, Jamaica Kincaid’s brother Devon is considered as an outsider in Antigua. Proven especially after his death. Kincaid reflects upon her brother's role in society at his funeral by comparing it to the funeral of a young

The narration reflects Kincaid's perception of Antigua. “This disease, in Antigua, produces all the prejudices in people that it produces elsewhere” meaning that many of those with the disease are ashamed to have it and do not tell others (30). For this reason Devon denied being HIV positive (65). AIDS/HIV has associations with homosexuality making it a taboo topic to talk about. Antiguans are not particularly homophobic rather they “are quick to disparage anyone or anything that is different from whom or what they think of as normal”(40). Embarrassment is placed on any homosexual individual, so many choose to keep their sexually a secret. Kincaid and almost all others did not know that her brother had male lovers until after his death because he would not have felt comfortable sharing that with other Antiguans. Overall traditional values rule the opinions of the citizens, so if you have any imperfections you would not be accepted fully by the community. A man from Antigua publically announced that he had HIV and he attempted to speak out and bring attention to the issue. However, the response he got from the the community was not positive which makes Kincaid suggest that being the reason why no one else has attempted to speak out about it again (146). Critics of the country come from its lack in ability to

At first she sees her role with her brother as an obligation. She goes into debt buying the medicine, ATZ, simply because of their biological relationship and not out of love for her brother. Later she starts to feel love for him. However, at his funeral she does not know how to feel. She discovers that she has true emotions when the time comes to officially say by to her brother. She wept not unlike the mother of the young boy who had died a few days earlier. Kincaid said “I cried when I heard him speak of his brother”; his brother was also her brother (195). It was unlike the siblings to openly express their emotions. Still, she was unsure of her feelings towards him. This is a constant theme throughout the novel of questioning how she feels about her brother and to what extent she cares for