Annie John

How does the author celebrate the actions of youthful rebels who resist the pressure to accept oppressive social mores?

Research Jamaica Kincaid’s biography to find significant similarities and differences between her life and Annie’s. To what extent is Annie John autobiographical? How might one account for the ways in which Annie differs materially from Kincaid? What do these differences contribute to the text?

Examine Annie’s father’s role in the novel. Given that he is a very minor character, what is his contribution to the text? What ideals does he embody, and how does his presence affect Annie’s development? Use specific examples to support your analysis.

Research obeah beliefs and practices. Besides the folk medicine and magic referenced in the text, what other areas of the Johns’ lives are affected by obeah?

Research the history of colonization in the Caribbean. How do Annie’s parents embrace English cultural and religious authority, and what are their reasons for doing so? What would their lives have been like if they refused to adopt a lifestyle that was acceptable to the English? Use examples from the text to support your interpretation.

Annie’s extreme growth during her three-month illness is somewhat unrealistic. What aspects of this illness seem supernatural or magical in origin? Are there any other such supernatural moments in the story? What is the significance of these magical elements?

Why is Annie’s grandmother successful in helping her to heal from her illness when the remedies of the English doctor and the Antiguan obeah woman cannot cure her? What abstract ideals does Annie’s grandmother represent, and what does Kincaid suggest when she successfully heals her granddaughter?

Why are Pa Chess and Annie’s father more accepting of English colonial rule than their wives seem to be, and why do they favor English medicine while their wives favor folk medicine?