What Are The Rhetorical Techniques Used In A Small Place

Jamaica Kincaid’s A Small Place is a thought-provoking essay that offers an insightful perspective on the complex relationship between colonialism, tourism, and identity in the author’s home country of Antigua. Through her use of rhetorical devices such as playing to the reader’s sentiments towards Antiguans, utilizing sarcastic diction, and employing vivid imagery of the tourists’ surroundings, Kincaid persuades the reader to reflect on the impact of colonization and the tourism industry on Antiguans and the struggles Antiguans face because of these external factors.

First, Kincaid highlights the insensitive behavior of tourists to appeal to the reader’s emotions and to encourage them to empathize with the struggles of Antiguans. In her essay,

In her essay, the author mocks tourists for being able to enjoy the dangerous and unkept roads in Antigua that the natives have to risk their lives and deal with. She jokes “This might frighten you (you are on your holiday; you are a tourist); this might excite you (you are on your holiday; you are a tourist)”(6). She points out that the tourist is only a tourist and is able to enjoy the dangerous activities because they are merely a tourist that will be able to leave Antigua and go back to their normal privileged life. By doing this she encourages the reader to see that tourists capitlize on the on the harsh realities the Antiguans face allowing the colonizers to have to escape from their normal fortunate life for entertainment purposes. Kincaid also ridicules he tourists for being selfish and only caring about their own health while traveling. Third-world countries, in this case Antigua, have limited medical services and due to this Antiguans struggle when it comes to taking care of their health. She mockigly mentions “what if your heart should miss a few beats? What if a blood vessle in your neck should break?” (8). This mocking statement highlights the selfish nature of the tourist that make them only think about their own health. The first-world countries the tourist is from along with the tourist themselvce have the ability to provide help or at least be concerned for others rather then themselves yet the tourist is only worried about such issues when it affects them. Kincaid includes this mockery to persuades the reader to see that tourism industry and the self-centered nature of the tourists has allowed third-world countries such as Angitigua to go without the property support to provide health care since the issue of health care in the country only matters when the tourists are