Hw #23 Part 2

My Brother by Jamaica Kincaid

Precis: Through the eight months of battling and trying to fight HIV, Devon, Jamaica's brother passed away.  Even though through the process Jamaica had doubts about what she was doing she grew a bond with her brother Devon. Emotions were scrambled and Jamaica didn't know if it was love that she was feeling towards the brother she hardly knew nor cared about. The death of her brother did not come as a surprise, it was as if he was already dead by the time she got to know him according to the condition he was in. The death of Devon helped replenished Jamaica back to her original state, she believed that it wasn’t love or concern she felt towards her brother, it was simply sympathy. The only love she knew was the love and warmth of her Husband and children. The Joy of her homecoming which seemed inconsequential, prevailed over the grief one is supposed to contain after the death of a brother.

“My brother would have been dead by now if this act of my mother had been all that remained in my life.” (pg 74)

If Jamaica had followed the path her mother made for her she would not be the person she is today. Her brother would not have lived as long as he did. Jamaica’s mother, a typical Antigua mother felt as if she was raising her kids the correct way. The death of Devon helped me understand why the death rate of people diagnosed with this disease is so high in this country. The morals and respectable things were leading them into a hole of illness where they were to deep into to climb out of.

“Perhaps everyone is living in death, i actually do believe that, but usually it cant be seen, in his case it was death i could see.” (pg 88)

Everyone is living to die. Not only by sickness but also by natural causes such as old age. There is a thin line between some illnesses and death, one of these illnesses are HIV. Conditions such as the condition Devon was in was horrific enough to believe that staying alive might be worst then death. There is a limit to one’s suffering and theres is only one course of action after this limit of suffering, death.

“I did not love my brother, I did not like my brother, i was only sorry that he died.” (pg 106)

It’s normal for one to care and love for their sibling and is way out of the ordinary for someone to not care or love for their sibling, especially in a time of need. Most people become closer & realize the things that are important in their lives when noticing the lost of a love one. Jamaica was not one of these people. Jamaica did not know how to love for her brother leaving her to only feel sympathy.

Jamaica Kincaid continues to state and believe that she does not love her brother. Jamaica also continues to complain about how her brothers illness is having a negative impact on her life. Why is it that she was around to care for him and treat him as if she loved him? While reading my Brother i feel as if Jamaica Kincaid is hiding her true intentions and feelings toward her brother. I feel as if she does not want to create a powerful enough bond with her brother, that it would be to hard to see her brother pass away. Jamaica is protecting herself by avoiding the feelings she has for her brother. Kincaid seems as if she has a special relationship with her children and Spouse, did the death of her brother and the process of him dying make her appreciate them more? This also leads to the question; Why does it take someone to die or to be dying for you to grateful for things you have in your life?