Hw 22

My Brother by Jamaica Kincaid

Jamaica Kincaid has just received some horrible news, her brother has been diagnosed with HIV. Jamaica now living in New York but originally from Antigua has to take a trip back to Antigua to help care for her brother Devon. Since Jamaica did not have a great or even a good relationship with her brother she was not sure how she felt about the situation. After helping care for her brother Jamaica's feelings begin to change and she became confused about how she felt about Devon. She didn’t know if it was sadness, regret, or sympathy but she felt positive that it was not love.

“Since there is no cure for aids it is useless to spend money.” (31) 

Jamaica is now experiencing how sick her brother is. The hospital he is in makes it seem as if there is no chance he will live more than a month. Being that Jamaica does not have a great relationship with her brother she doesn’t feel that she should spend alot of money on something that wont guarantee that her brother will live.

“ I said i would come again and it crossed my min and he said it out loud, yes perhaps to my funeral.” (47)

Devon has a very small chance of surviving for more than a month. He does not try to avoid the fact that he is going to die because he knows in reality there is no way he can survive the disease under these conditions. Also Jamaica believes that he wont be able to survive this deadly disease even though she is the one who is trying to avoid reality.

“ I missed the warm sun, i missed the my brother, being with him, being in the presence of his suffering.” (pg. 50)

Jamaica is starting to form a closer bond with her brother. When she first arrived back to Antigua she didn't even feel that she cared about her brother but now she feels that are feelings there. She is forming a closer bond with him because he is ill, the time she took caring for Devon was the time she noticed she actually cares alot for her brother.

While reading the first third of the “My brother” by Jamaica Kincaid i felt that my views and ideas were similar to hers. Jamaica believes that why should we pay money for medicine and treatment if the patient is guaranteed to die? This is also an idea i have, cant this money go to something just as significant but has a better chance of progressing and prospering. An interesting idea i have after reading is why does it take one to be in the verge of death for people to cherish one’s life? We don't know what we have until it is gone.