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Here Comes the Sun: Deconstructed Student Essays

The Struggles of Dependency

This passage from Here Comes the Sun contains a conversation between Margot and Maxi. Margot and Maxi hold two competing views on Jamaica and its tourism industry. Maxi has a more favorable opinion of his home in Jamaica. He recognizes that he gets to call a beautiful place on the sea home and is also thankful for the tourists because they provide for the people of Jamaica economically. Maxi feels that the people of Jamaica should be thankful for the tourists because of the industry they create and the money they bring to the island. He feels that the tourists cannot be blamed for the hardships many Jamaicans are faced with because they are simply responsible for bringing money to the island. On the contrary, Margot does not feel at home in Jamaica. While she does think it a beautiful place to call home, it does not serve as a home for her. Jamaica is a paradise for those who vacation there, not for the people who live there year-round. These differing views show the dichotomy of the perspectives of tourism in Jamaica. Although tourism is the nation's primary source of revenue, it is also the central cause of many of the disparities the country is faced with. This perspective of tourism is not seen by outsiders visiting the island and is something only seen by native Jamaicans. Nicole Dennis-Benn displays these sentiments throughout the text as they counter the colonial renderings of the Caribbean, which fail to address them.

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The tourism industry across the Caribbean was built by the oppressors for the oppressors, and now the native populations are dependent on it. The system was created to keep the wealth in the hands of the colonial powers while preventing those of low economic status from succeeding in society. As seen in this excerpt from The Economic Impact of Tourism: Jamaican Residents' Perceptions, it is most difficult for the people to express displeasure with the system who most rely on it. Even though they are oppressed by it, it provides them with the bare necessities for survival, making it difficult for many to speak up against it. Colonial narratives fail to address this harsh reality, but it is a prominent theme exposed in Here Comes the Sun. Through the characters of Margot and Delores, it is evident that despite being oppressed by the societal standards set by the tourism industry, they accept their place and work in the tourism industry to be able to provide for themselves as well as Thandi. (Frater)
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1. The Struggles of Dependency This passage from Here Comes the Sun contains a conversation between Margot and Maxi. Margot and Maxi hold two competing views on Jamaica and its tourism industry. Maxi has a more favorable opinion of his home in Jamaica. He recognizes that he gets to call a beautiful place on the sea home and is also thankful for the tourists because they provide for the people of Jamaica economically. Maxi feels that the people of Jamaica should be thankful for the tourists because of the industry they create and the money they bring to the island. He feels that the tourists cannot be blamed for the hardships many Jamaicans are faced with because they are simply responsible for bringing money to the island. On the contrary, Margot does not feel at home in Jamaica. While she does think it a beautiful place to call home, it does not serve as a home for her. Jamaica is a paradise for those who vacation there, not for the people who live there year-round. These differing views show the dichotomy of the perspectives of tourism in Jamaica. Although tourism is the nation's primary source of revenue, it is also the central cause of many of the disparities the country is faced with. This perspective of tourism is not seen by outsiders visiting the island and is something only seen by native Jamaicans. Nicole Dennis-Benn displays these sentiments throughout the text as they counter the colonial renderings of the Caribbean, which fail to address them.