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Putting the Fun in Funeral: An Analysis of the Motif of Death in Annie John

No matter how powerful someone may seem, no one can survive the inevitability of

death. In Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid, throughout Annie Johns childhood and even into her

young adult years, Annie has a strange obsession with death. Death surrounds Annie, both as a

result of coincidence and free choice, yet she does not seem to fear it. Instead, Annie has an

unrelenting desire to learn more about death. Through the use of the motif of death, Kincaid

suggests that attempting to control ones life results in an artificial sense of security.

Throughout her early childhood, Annie experiences various discoveries about death,

showing that death is an ever-present part of life. For part of the time when Annie is ten years

old, she believes that only people [she] did not know died (3). As a ten year old, Annie

believes that she is immune from death as it has yet to touch any part of her life. This gives

Annie the feeling that she is invincible, free from the tragedy of death. However, because the

Annie narrates while looking back, she can now recognize the childish notions on her idea of

death. This foreshadows that someone she knows will die and that death may play a large part in

her later life. Similarly, Annie stays in a remote home during summer next to a graveyard, but

she did not know it was the cemetery (4). Even though Annie has little experience or

knowledge of death, death seems to loom over Annies life. Annie is literally surrounded by

death. The incidental close proximity of the cemetery to Annie mirrors the inescapability of

death as neither are intentional nor pleasant. Moreover, until Annie sees a morning funeral, she

had not known that children died (4). Again, Annie experiences a loss of innocence as another

revelation about death occurs. Even as a child, Annie cannot avoid the idea of death. Annies
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lively young age contrasts the grim aspect of death, pointing out that no one is exempt from the

fate of death.

Annie reacts impersonally to the death of others, suggesting that by separating oneself

from the death of others, death seems less threatening. During a summer of Annies childhood,

she can see sticklike figures, some dressed in black, some dressed in white, bobbing up and

down in the distance (4). By describing the funeral goers as sticklike figures, Annie makes

the scene seem like more of a childs drawing than an actual funeral, which makes it seem less

morose. The literal distance between Annie and the funeral party represents Annies attempt to

distance herself from the reality of death. Rather than acknowledging the seriousness of the

funeral, Annie acts as a bystander, simply noticing the existence of the situation. Annie later

starts attending funerals, but not as an official mourner, since [she] didnt know any of the

people who had died (9). Although Annie goes to the funerals, she does not show any sadness

for the deceased. Instead, Annie exhibits a curiosity about death. By attending the funerals

without being affected by her emotions, studying them as a scientist would, she can gain

knowledge about the nature of death. Although the cause of Annies curiosity is uncertain,

perhaps Annie goes to these funerals because she feels that she is superior because she has

survived death or because she is curious about her possible future. Nevertheless, even if one

learns about every aspect of death, death is ultimately unavoidable. Later, after the humpbacked

girl dies, Annie reveals that her only regret is that she wished [she] had tapped the hump to see

if it was hollow (10). Annie does not refer to the humpbacked girl by her real name, but rather a

nickname that focuses on a feature that Annie is fascinated with, which essentially minimizes the

humpback girl to nothing more than her hump. Ironically, Annie does not miss the actual girl
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herself, but only the humped back because Annie was curious about its anatomy. Again, Annie

does not view the humpbacked girls death with sadness, but rather pure disappointment because

Annie missed out on an opportunity to gain knowledge about something she did not know.

Similar to how Annie is curious about the composition of the hump, Annie takes a similar

approach to the funerals. Rather than viewing a funeral as an opportunity to say goodbye to the

deceased, Annie views funerals unemotionally and uses them as chance to learn more about

death which results in a false sense of control.

During Annies young adult years, she realizes the power that results from the balance of

life and death, suggesting that one can theoretically control others through death. When Annie

meets the Red Girl, she gives her the nickname because she has a vision in which the Red Girls

house is on fire and Annie rescues her so that the Red Girl would have followed [her] around

worshipfully and took with great forbearance any and every abuse [she] heaped on her (57).

Annie views a potential life threatening situation as a chance to control the Red Girl. Ironically,

Annie wishes for a situation that would put the Red Girl in direct harm even though the Red Firl

is her friend. Annie believes that saving someone from death, the omnipotent force, shows an

ultimate power. Additionally, the motivation for Annie to save the Red Girl from death is so that

Annie can abuse her, showing Annies desire for dominance. However, this idea of power is

irrational as death will still triumph eventually. Similarly, when the Red Girl moves away, Annie

dreams that after she rescues the Red Girl from a shipwreck, they will send confusing signals to

the ships, causing them to crash on some nearby rocks, and Annie pointed out how [they]

laughed as their cries of joy turned to cries of sorrow (71). Annie gains enjoyment from the

possibility of again saving the Red Girl from death. Additionally, Annie thinks that it would be
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entertaining to cause the death of the theoretical ships. Annie finds pleasure from this idea

because in this scenario she has the supreme power, acting almost as a god, deciding who lives

and who dies. Unfortunately for Annie, this is only a dream, and in reality, she has little control

over others and even herself as her mother tries to control her, exposing that Annies desire for

ultimate power is unachievable. Moreover, when in a disagreement with her mother, Annie

thinks that her mother would kill [her] if she got the chance[, but Annie] would kill [her] mother

if [she] had the courage (89). Annie realizes that she has the ability and even the opportunity to

kill her mother, but she cannot do it because she is scared. Annie still values her mother, even if

she will not admit it, and literally killing her mother would also mean that Annie would be the

one to kill their relationship. Annie does not want to take responsibility for her mothers death,

but still wishes that she could kill her, revealing the drawback of having the power to kill. In

reality, Annie does not have authority over others, leaving her with only a false semblance of

control, which is to solely fantasize about using death as a tool to gain supremacy. However,

Annie knows that she cannot bring herself to take responsibility of her actions if she were to

execute them in real life, exposing Annies superficial claims and hesitant nature.

While Annie attempts to control both her life and others lives through her relationship

with death, she remains powerless. Even though she continues to fight death, as in her career of

nursing, Annie will eventually succumb to its power, showing the synthetic nature of Annies

perceived power. Annie can only control her actions during her life, but nothing more.

Ultimately, death cannot be escaped as it is the imminent destiny of all living creatures.