A Walk to the Jetty Free Essay Example, 2000 words

The research has identified an uncertainty and self-doubt that can be clearly seen in the story, A Walk to the Jetty , that seems to seamlessly connect with the multiple identities issue presented in Reflections of a 17-Year Old . In A Walk to the Jetty author Jamaica Kincaid shares the story of Annie John homeland for a higher education abroad. Just like in the previous story, Annie is filled with self-doubt at the thought of having to leave all that was familiar to her, including her parents. It is clear that she is totally unprepared for the responsibility of taking charge of her life and dealing with the need to adjust who she is as a person once she reaches the shores of her educational home. It is evidently clear from the discussion that her quest is made even more difficult because she wishes to change her mind about her education abroad at the very last minute. It is almost as if she realizes that she will need to create a new identity for herself in order to handle the demands of her new life. We will write a custom essay sample on A Walk to the Jetty or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now It never occurred to her, before she set foot on the jetty that her life was going to drastically change and she would no longer be able to go back to the life she once knew. She was going to need to change who she was in order to create her new life and she was just unprepared for it. She came to the realization that she valued her old life so much that she was unwilling to let it go. Her sense of not wanting to let go of her past, its security, and all its comforts, including her fear of what was to come in her new life is strongly depicted by the simple action of Annie taking the hands of her parents as they await her boarding the jetty. When they too clasped her hands, it was a sign that they also knew of her fears but reassured her that even though her future would change, her past, her parents, who are the constant connection she has to her past, will always be there for her to return to.