A Small Place

At the time of writing, Kincaid shamefully admits, Antigua isn’t in a good state, as the people are poor and the government is corrupt. She focuses on the library as an example of this dichotomy. She remembers the happy times she had at the old library, which she would visit every Saturday as a child. Now, the old library is in a limbo state of pending repairs, and the “temporary” library is in a single cramped room. Even though the librarian used to keep a harsh eye on Kincaid—who was notorious for keeping the books she withdrew—Kincaid can sense the old woman’s sadness at the change to the institution. Kincaid laments that without the library and with a poor education system, the younger generation of Antiguans are hardly literate in their “native” language of English.

Kincaid tries to track down people who might be able to help restore the old library. A woman from the Mill Reef Club—the group that has been promising to pay for repairs—says that the club is reluctant to use its money on the library because that area of town might be developed for tourist shops. Kincaid can’t ask the Minister of Education for answers because he’s out of the country watching a cricket match, for he is also the Minister of Culture and of Sport.