A Small Place Slides

“You may be the sort of tourist who would

wonder why a Prime Minister would want

an airport named after him—why not a

school, why not a hospital, why not some

great public monument? (1.1)”


Analysis 1:

• The Prime Minister of Antigua doesn’t want schools, hospitals, or public monuments to be named after him because tourists won’t see “that type of stuff” whereas airports are the dominant means of transportation for tourists, allowing them to be exposed to his name.
• The reader can infer that the Antiguan government doesn’t have its citizens best interests at heart.

• The Antiguan government caters to the needs of tourists rather than their own people, making sure they receive a quality (however unrealistic) presentation of the island.
• The Prime Minister believes that the best way to promote himself is through tourists who experience the impractical depiction of life and culture on the island.

Analysis 2:

• The following article by the IPS News Agency on “Poverty in Antigua” brings light to a reality often gone unseen by tourists and media
• Many people of Antigua struggle economically and the Antiguan economy is constantly fluctuating
• The article claims “there was no sign of life in the community”
• Schools and hospitals are severely underfunded, however, many tourist establishments including casinos and hotels flourish
• This ties into the false representation of the island portrayed by the government and also brings light to how little they value the livelihood of the Antiguan people rather than wealthy foreigners