Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid is an extraordinary book that i would recommend to any of those who enjoy reading stories about coming of age,especially for people who are having troubles with their sexuality.
Though growing up is difficult and all pre-teens & teens change with the years, (mentally and physically) our feelings for our families differ. Though, they are only temporary. This also appears in the text ; as Annie John grows older her feelings for women start to develop differently, though i believe these [had] feelings started with her mother.
In the second chapter of Annie John all Jamaica Kincaid writes about is how much Annie loves her mother, she talks about how she goes to the market with her mother or how she cooks with her mother, and even about how she bathes with her mother.It is very apparent that Annie John loves her mother very ,very much.
Gradually though, after she starts going to a new school Annie starts to dislike her mother because of sudden "coming of age" restrictions. Like learning what a lady is supposed to do with company, how to play the piano, how to wash dishes, or how to fold clothes.The older she grows the more tense things become at home with her mother.
This is around the time when she discovers a girl named Gwen; Annie and Gwen have fallen in love and are considered the "Love Doves" of the school. Annie thinks that her mother won't approve so she goes ahead and begins a serious relationship with Gwen (Or at least as serious as it can get between to teenage girls.)
I thought this was really interesting, when you read you know Annie actually loves Gwen but, only starts to have interest in her because her mother would disapprove. So you really see the feelings for her mom are definitely going downhill.
Annie's mother is a strict, down to earth, woman who has many future plans to help Annie start her own healthy family, but i don't think she ever foresaw that Annie would grow the will to do such shameful things.
Her surprise started when she found out that Annie John played marbles. Her anger towards Annie John was very intense, BUT Annie took this anger and thought it was because she had been doing something shameful but, i think Annie's mom was upset because Annie lied to her about not having marbles and lied in a different form to her mother because she was being dishonest and was stealing. I actually really feel bad for Annie' s mom to lose your child bad influences must be a horrible thing.
I do believe that Annie has started to hate her mother but there are instances when her mother [Annie's] and Annie show they do love each other. Its very hard to find those instances but, when Annie thinks of her mother all she sees is "the soft and beautiful nape of her neck, and her mothers soft hair piled on top of her head, and her delicate hands working the figs into her most favorite desert." so obviously there are still feelings.
Annie and her mothers relationship is a very complicated delicate thing that takes a lot of time and concentration but, in conclusion I really think that aging really has an effect on how Annie John views her family members but she loves them all the same in the end.
-Raindrop
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