“They had somehow all been to the islands- by that, they meant the place where I was from- and had fun there. I decided not to like them just on that basis; I wished once again that I came from a place where no one wanted to go, a place that was filled with slag and unexpectedly erupting volcanoes, or where a visitor was turned into a pebble on setting foot there; somehow it made me ashamed to come from a place where the only thing to be said about it was ‘I had fun when I was there’ ” (Kinkaid, 65).

In this quote, Lucy describes the anger that she feels when Lewis and Mariah’s friends all claim to have been to the place where she is from on vacation. In this particular quote, Lucy repeats the phrase “the islands,” the same phrase that Dinah used when she first met Lucy. This phrase is vague and almost irresponsibly unspecific; the cookie-cutter people who Lucy meets at the cocktail party could be talking about any islands, and yet they all know exactly which group of islands they mean when they refer to “the islands”. For Lucy, it seems that there is something about the beauty of Antigua that allows people to refer to this particular island and the islands that surround it simply as “the islands.” It is because of the natural beauty and warm climate of Antigua that the people at this cocktail party have all gone on vacation there, and are able to refer to this area so generally. Everyone has been to Antigua, or to an island near it, but no one has lived there. People have simply visited, and had a good time. Lucy wishes that she were from a dangerous and deserted place instead, and uses harsh and unfamiliar words like “slag” and violent imagery of “erupting volcanoes” to illustrate the hostile nature of this imagined place. If this were Lucy’s home, no one would want to visit, and no one could refer to her home familiarly as “the islands.” 

Summary

In this article, Emling gives a brief account of Antigua’s rising popularity as a get-away destination for Europeans (as well as some Americans) who are in the market for vacation homes. Emling particularly explores the reasons why Antigua is becoming so popular as just such a destination. Property is much more reasonably priced on this island, compared with property on other comparable islands, and because the island is not entirely monopolized by vacationers, more desirable properties are available. The article also mentions luxury amenities available on Antigua, such as infinity pools, large and spacious condominium and villa complexes, expansive grounds with ocean views, and upscale shopping and restaurants.  Furthermore, Antigua offers direct flights to many major European airports, making travel to and from the island as easy as possible, and the fact that tax assessments are conducted in the national currency, instead of the American dollar. Emling paints a portrait here of Antigua as a newly discovered and highly desirable luxury get-away locale, which is now being noticed by the world real estate market.

Analysis

This article reads more like a real estate advertisement than like a piece of news. The author writes in a bland and impersonal style, and most of the article is occupied with describing the various amenities that high-end vacation homes in Antigua have to offer, and specific accounts of how much various properties cost. Emling’s impersonal style, and her emphasis on such details as infinity pools, ocean views, and various forms of tax exemption, cause the article to seem materialistic and superficial. Emling refers to the native population of Antigua only once, when she refers to the total number of people living on the island full-time. The perspective of those people who live on the island, and who in all likelihood cannot afford the kinds of properties Emling describes with lavish detail, is entirely absent from the article. The article seems to be written exclusively for wealthy Europeans and Americans who are considering buying a vacation home, and disregards any responses, positive or negative, that people who currently live in Antigua might have to the development of vacation properties on the island.

It’s strange that I live in New York now, because growing up I always thought about “New Yorkers” as people not to be trusted. The town where I grew up is small and beautiful, with lakes and rivers running through it, and mountain trails to climb. It was a wonderful place to have a childhood. But, it was also a place that everyone wanted to visit, particularly the “New Yorkers” who lived three hours away. On the weekends, particularly in the summer, my town would overflow with shiny cars bearing Empire State license plates, all driving too fast past my house. The lake beaches would become crowded, and any time we hiked a favorite trail and discovered dirty plastic bags or granola bar wrappers that had been left behind, my sister and I would shake our heads and lament, “New Yorkers.” 

Our town is a small town, but many of the houses are huge. These big houses are owned by New Yorkers, people who live far away, and who come up on the weekends or in the summers. These people complain about paying taxes to support local schools, because their children don’t attend these schools. They attend other schools, in the city. These children come to my town to go to the lake, to hike the mountain, and leave behind their sticky granola bar wrappers. So, the wealthiest landowners are the ones who tried to vote down a new roof for my high school, when the snows from a hard winter flooded the gym. Their children weren’t trying to play basketball in the gym that winter. 

I never wished that I lived in an ugly place, or a dangerous place. But, I did wish that it were much harder to get to my town from New York. Strange, though, because now I am the one taking a northbound train on beautiful fall weekends.