Structure

The excerpt from A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid is structured by following a tourist’s experiences in Antigua, from the moment they arrive at the airport to the moment they decide to get dinner and begin their holiday: “If you go to Antigua as a tourist, this is what you will see. If you come by aeroplane, you will land at the V.C. Bird International Airport.” (p. 179, ll. 1-3)

The text mainly follows a chronological structure, explaining what will happen on the tourist’s journey through the airport and to their hotel. The text starts off like a travel guide, introducing the idea of what a tourist will see on a trip to Antigua. However, Kincaid quickly introduces elements of foreshadowing that suggest she intends to criticize both the tourism industry and the ...