Topic > Jamaica Kincaid sees England for the first time; a study in the symbolic use of clothing

In Jamaica Kincaid's non-fiction story, On Seeing England for the First Time, she talks about the experience of Jamaica in Antigua when everything was representative of England and how glorious it is a place. However Jamaica saw the real side of England when they went and it wasn't as great as they thought. In his history, he described that most things made in England helped demonstrate a family's social status and wealth. She focused primarily on clothing and fashion as a symbol of power. People usually see clothing as a symbol of sex or seduction, as well as a symbol of personality, however in this one it is symbolized as a sign of power and wealth. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayKincaid describes England as a jewel, a jewel that only the English can wear. Kincaid's father wore a felt hat and clothes made in England. She describes the reason why her father wears the hat by saying, "My father must have seen and admired the picture of an Englishman wearing such a hat in England, and this picture which he saw must have been so compelling as to cause him to wearing the wrong hat for a hot climate for most of his long life” (Kincaid 366) It describes how his father wanted to fit in by purchasing this hat to him symbolized being English and acting like someone from from England. Her father realized that even though the hat was not suitable for the work he did, it still showed that he could afford clothes from England. To Kincaid's father this epitomized wealth and she continues to describe it as that hat was always on his head as if it were his prized possession. Before Kincaid wrote his history of England, people saw fashion as a form of deception and seduction. An article titled “Material Fictions of Desire” talks about various authors symbolizing women's clothing as a symbol of desire or sex. One of the sentences in the essay mentions the way the English think about clothing. She says: "Not only were elite English women seen as agents of disguise because of their love of dress, they were also seen as essentially flawed creatures who deceived men into loving them---and worse, marrying them-- – through dissimulation and deception” (Emberley 471). This basically described how women wore promiscuous clothing to attract the eyes of a male. Through this it seemed that clothing was the only way to please men. However, as time went on, clothing went from being something seen as promiscuous to something that signified money and power. For example, in Kincaid's story, he talked about how in one shop they sold clothes with the coat of arms of the Prince of Wales. She said: “I said, my husband and I hate princes, my husband would never wear anything that has anything princely on it. My friend tensed. The salesman stiffened” (Kincaid 372). This quote showed the importance of a prince's coat of arms especially because one of the friends said that having something from the prince showed his Englishness. By wearing something that showed power, it made the people wearing the clothing look like they were from the upper class. Clothing for Kincaid, while it symbolized power, also symbolized a sense of confidence and beauty. Kincaid described the clothing of English women.