Jamaica Kincaid Compare And Contrast Essay

Jamaica Kincaid and Mohsin Hamid are both writing about a culture they are from, to not only defy a single story by highlighting the inequality they face, but to raise awareness and promote self-education. They both take two distinctive but similar approaches to show the effects of inequality and how it prospers in the essence of privilege and power. Kincaid uses a second-person point of view and heavy tone to force the reader to understand her anger towards colonialism and how it not only destroys countries and cultures, but inhibits its natural development. I believe this method was effective, however, its success is dependent on the reader accepting the direct addressment through the second person point of view with a hostile tone. Whereas, Hamid is taking a much less subtle approach which can initially seem more successful. He is making the reader question the purpose throughout the narrative by not physically putting the reader in the role (as Kincaid did with a second-point of view), but rather by

The main character, Changez, is narrating the book through a conversation he is having with an American. This American is never named nor does he ever speak. We only read about Changez responses and reactions towards the American. This easily displayed the amount of inequality that surfaces between Americans (westerners) and Pakistanis (or Muslims). Hamid immediately shows this in the beginning of the book when Changez says “Ah, I see I have alarmed you. Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America” (1). Although, Hamid does not use a second point of view to directly address the reader, his point of view is still directly addressing the reader, like Kincaid, because it allows the reader to easily imagine themselves as the American. This also allows the reader to come up with their own responses to Changes and compare it to what actually happens when Changez reveals