In History, Jamaica Kincaid tells the story of Christopher Columbus and his arrival in the Americas from a Caribbean perspective. She highlights the atrocities committed by Columbus and his men against the indigenous people they encountered. Kincaid also discusses how these events have shaped the way that history is taught in many schools today.
In addition, she provides an insightful look at how the actions of Columbus have affected her own life and the lives of those around her. In History is an important book that provides a different perspective on the events that led to the colonization of the Americas.
Furthermore, regardless of what tale she tells, she always has a thing to say about the word “history.” She attempts to define the term but does not specifically explain where the uncertainty stems from. While she maintains a calm demeanor throughout Columbus’s narrative, her dissatisfied and somewhat cynical tone becomes apparent before Linnaeus’ story. The significance of this portion is that she begins to talk directly to us as if we were in person, rather than remaining quiet until now.
In the very beginning, she had made a clear distinction between story and history. A story is something that is personal to the individual, while history is an institutionalized way of looking at the past. In her opinion, “history” is nothing more than a series of lies that have been passed down and believed to be true. She furthers her point by saying that even if some parts of history are true, they do not necessarily reflect the whole truth. In other words, history is biased and one-sided. In light of this, she asks us to consider what we believe and why we believe it.
Jamaica Kincaid’s essay In History presents a polyvocal exploration of meaning(s) of the term “history.” In a discussion with her readers, Kincaid challenges the dominant perspective on history as an accurate recounting of facts. She suggests that “history” is instead a collection of stories that may or may not be based in actual events, and that these stories are often skewed to reflect the biases of those who tell them.
In order for us to understand our world and ourselves, Kincaid contends, we must question the stories we’ve been told about the past and consider all sides of the story. Only then can we hope to begin to understand the complex and multi-layered nature of history.
In order to answer this, we must analyze her story in relation to Columbus. In the story, Columbus is introduced as an imperialist who exploits natural resources and commits genocide against the Native Americans. Kincaid heavily criticizes Columbus and his actions, portraying him as a ruthless villain.
In contrast, Linnaeus is praised by Kincaid for classifying plants and animals but she critiques him for reinforcing the Eurocentric view of nature. In her eyes, Linnaeus is just as guilty as Columbus because he perpetuates the idea that nature exists for the white man’s consumption.
Thus, by critiquing both Columbus and Linnaeus, Kincaid is implicitly criticizing the Eurocentric view of history. For her, history is not about glorifying white men but rather, it is about critically examining the past in order to create a more just future. In this sense, Kincaid redefines history as a tool for social change.
Kincaid’s does not hesitate to ask both herself and the readers what history is: what should I call the occurrence that happened to me and all who resemble me? Is it appropriate to call it a history? “What is a history,” she asks. Is it a theory? As Kincaid’s readers immerse themselves in the questions, they begin to doubt their understanding of history: why would Kincaid be so eager to write about her perplexity regarding “history” if the common definition was correct?
In other words, the readers are led to ponder if there is more to history than they have realized. Interestingly, Kincaid reflects on Christopher Columbus and his so-called discovery of America. In her eyes, Columbus was not actually a discoverer but a thief: “he did not discover anything. He stole land that did not belong to him” (624).
With this statement, Kincaid challenges the traditional view of Christopher Columbus and brings up an important issue regarding the misrepresentation of history. In fact, many historical events have been distorted or inaccurately portrayed over time; Kincaid’s reflection therefore urges readers to reflect critically on what they have learned about history and question its reliability.
In History, Jamaica Kincaid not only raises thought-provoking questions about history and its definition, but also provides insightful commentary on the distortion of historical events. As a result, the essay serves as a reminder for readers to be critical of the history that they have learned and to question its accuracy.
Kincaid’s sole objective appears to be on communicating with us directly and going through the process of finding “history” together, as seen in her writing. When Kincaid talks about Columbus’ discovery of the New World, she never specifies any previous features that he uncovers: “. and then finding people and their things in these new places…and then emptying the land of these people….and then looking for more persons or things than there were before” (623).
In fact, readers are so unengaged that even the author herself has to remind them of what is happening. This “history” therefore is not really a history at all, but more like a series of events that have happened without any particular order or focus. In other words, it is an In History.
The title In History suggests that the story is not really about history, but rather about the idea of history and how it is communicated to us. Jamaica Kincaid’s writing style reinforces this idea by making the reader feel as if they are part of the process of finding out “history” together.
Additionally, the lack of specificity in the description of Columbus’ discovery of the New World highlights how unengaged we often are when it comes to learning about history. In History is therefore not really a history at all, but more like a series of events that have happened without any particular order or focus. In other words, it is an In History.
Jamaica Kincaid’s In History is a reminder that we should be careful about how we learn and communicate history. We should be engaged and attentive so that we can truly understand the events that have shaped our world.
