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Accounts of the British Empire

Peace of Mind

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Analysis of Illness and Death of the Sister of the Above In Bartica Grove, the sister of Amelia (from the previous page), Leonora, fell sick with the "decline" three months after Amelia died of the same affliction (both of whom are non-white natives of British Guiana). Shortly before her death, Leonora was asked if she was ready to give her soul to Jesus, to which she replied confidently and positively. She had complete faith in God and his plans for her. On her last day, she was feeling happy, but her physical health had deteriorated. Her last words were a request for her brother to be taken care of.

Despite all the arguments and evidence that points toward the introduction of Christianity in the West Indies as a period rife with colonialism and oppression of the natives, based on the passage titled Illness and Death of the Sister of the Above (135-138), Christianity brought peaceful thinking to the West Indies, especially in Bartica Grove.

In the passage titled General View (74-89), a very somewhat negative view is given of the influence of the Christian missionaries and their role in the West Indies. Some of the white people had brought with them not only western culture, but also alcohol (79). This is analogous to when Europeans brought alcohol to natives in the Americas in the 1500s, creating a dependency on alcohol for many natives, and thereby creating a dependence on the foreigners.

However, this viewpoint is a stark contrast to the information brought forth by the passage, in which the author proffers a vignette of a young girl of only twelve years old who dies. Though her life had been short, because she had a religion to give her hope, she had no trouble accepting that her death was soon. The introduction of Christianity to her island allowed her to have a peace of mind, despite her circumstances that would be normally viewed as sad. (135-138)