Comparing Sacrifice In A Walk To The Jetty And Ile

A Walk to the Jetty by Jamaica Kincaid and Ile by Eugene O’Neill, both include a strong-willed main character who makes a life changing decision over the course of the story. In their respective stories, Annie John and Captain Keeney both channel their ambition into sacrifice; leaving themselves and their audiences to question- is it worth it? Annie aspires to improve the quality of her life by leaving her family and the island she calls home to become a nurse in England. Annie admits outright that she has no actual desire to be a nurse. “I did not want to be a nurse” (Kincaid 35).Yet, she is seemingly ambitious enough to be willing to do whatever it takes to get out of Antigua. Her ambition to better her life is clearly seen not only in this decision, but also in her disgust in what the societal expectations are for her there. When her mother suggests Annie will soon be writing to inform them of her engagement, she recoils at the mere mention of
They were. She knew she likely wouldn’t ever return, but she also knew that she couldn’t bear to live the way she was any longer. Annie wanted to leave, and so she did. “I only knew that I felt the way I did, and that this feeling was the strongest thing in my life” (Kincaid 34). For Annie, fulfilling this desire was a major accomplishment, even if it was a bittersweet moment.
Likewise, Keeney’s sacrifices are worth it. Though he undoubtedly loved his wife, there was nothing he loved more than his reputation. His pride was constantly on his mind- to the point where he endured two years of complaints in the hopes that the ice would clear and he would fulfill his goal. Despite wanting his wife happy, his primary desire was to collect a ship full of ile, and accomplishing that goal meant more to him than anything else. He did not hesitate in the slightest to go back on his word and continue the