Title | Lonely Londoners - Lecture notes 2-3 |
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Author | Mina Whorms |
Course | Modes of Reading |
Institution | The University of Warwick |
Pages | 3 |
File Size | 211.8 KB |
File Type | |
Total Downloads | 35 |
Total Views | 135 |
These lecture notes are in relation to Samuel Selvon's 'The Lonely Londoners'. The lecture was performed by Dr Mike Niblett. ...
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t h DAT E:T h u r s d a y , Oc t o b e r 1 3 3 0 1 6 T OPI C:Sa mu e l Se l v o n , ‘ T h eL o ne l yL on d o n e r s ’ ( 1 9 5 6 )
Th i sl e c t u r eg a v ea ni n t r o d u c t i o nt ot h en o v e l . Th en o v e ld i s c u s s e st h ee n t r a n c eo fJ a ma i c a ns i n t oEn g l a n d s e e k i n gb e t t e rf o r mso f wo r k . Th e ya r r i v e do nt h eS. SEmpi r eWi ndr us hi n1 9 4 8 ,wh i c hwa s ma r k e da sb e i n gt h efi r s twa v eo fp o s t wa ri mmi g r a n t sf r o mt h e Ca r i b b e a nt oe n t e r t h eUK. Th e r ei st h e mi s c o n c e p t i o nt h a tt h i swa st h efi r s te n t r a n c eo f Ca r i b b e a np e o p l ei n t oEn g l a n d ,h o we v e rt h i si sn o tt r u e .Ma n y Ca r i b b e a np e o p l eh a db e e ni nEn g l a n df o r mu l t i p l ey e a r sp r i o r . Th eb o a t wa sd e s c r i b e dt ob r i n g5 0 0J a ma i c a n s , h o we v e rt h e r ewe r e o t h e rp e o p l et h a t we r ef r o ma l l a c r o s st h eCa r i b b e a ne . g. T r i ni da d. The r ewe r ebot hi mmi gr a n t sofAf r i c a nCa r i bbe a nde s c e nta nd a l s oof Af r i c a n I ndi a nd e s c e nt . Se l v o nh i ms e l f i so f I n d i a n Ca r i b b e a nd e s c e n t .
T he1 9 4 8Na t i o na l i t yAc tga v eCa r i bb e a np e op l et h eoppo r t u ni t yt oh a v es t a t usa s c i t i z e n so ft heUK. Th i sc r e a t e das ub s e q u e nt wa v eof ma s s mi gr a t i on . Th ei mmi g r a n t sa r r i v i n gi nt h eUKwe r eq u i t eo b j e c t i fi e di nt h e l e n so ft h ec a me r a .T h i sfi x e dt h e ma sa l i e n ,n e wc o me r sa n da l s o s o me wh a t na ï v e . Theno v e l g i v e susa c c e s st ot hei nne rl i f eof t hemi gr a n t . Se l v o nh i ms e l f a r r i v e di nEn g l a n di n1 9 5 0 . Hep u b l i s h e ds o me s h o r ts t o r i e so n‘ Ca r i b b e a nVo i c e s ’ ,a l o n g s i d eh i sBa r ba di a nf r i e nd a nda ut h orGe or geLa mmi ng. I n1 9 5 6 ,i twa st h efi r s tt i met h a tSe l v o nwr o t eTheL one l y Londone r si np r i n t .
1 .
“ Empi r ea n dt heUn r e a l ”
Th en o v e l ’ si n t r o d u c t i o ng i v e sg r e a td e t a i l sa n dar e a l i s m i n t e n t o nd e s c r i b i n ga‘ u n r e a l c i t y ’ . L o n d o nwa so f t e nd e s c r i b e da sb e i n g“ u n r e a l ” .Se l v o ns a y s t h a tT . S.El i otha dama s s i v ei nflue nc eonhi sde pi c t i onof Londona sa nun r e a l c i t y . Th i si d e ad e r i v e sp r i n c i p a l l yf r o mSe l v o nb e i n gami g r a n th i ms e l f .Her e c a s t sEl i o t ’ s“ h i g h mo d e r n i s t mo d e ” . T h i sc a na l s ob er e f e r r e dt oa s“ mi g r a n t mode r ni s m” . Thec ol oni a lc u l t ur ei nLondons e t st het r a d i t i ona lv a l u e so fr e a l i t y .No r ma t i v ev a l u e sa r e e s t a b l i s h e dt os a ywh a t c o n s t i t u t e sa s“ c i v i l i z e d ” . 1
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F o rt h e s eCa r i b b e a nmi g r a n t s ,“ r e a l i t y ”a l wa y ss e e me dt ob el o c a t e de l s e wh e r e .F o re x a mp l e ,t h ec h a r a c t e r o f Ga l a h a di sa l l u r e db yt h ec i t y . L o n d o nc o l o n i z a t i o nh a sb e e ni n d o c t r i n e dwi t h i nh i m. Hei sama s s i v es y mbol of c o l oni z a t i on. Se l v on’ swr i t i ngma i nl ya i me dt or e p r e s e nta s p e c i ficCa r i b be a nwor l d. He be l i e v e d t ha tt he Ca r i b be a ns houl db ej us t a smuc ha sar e a l i t ya s London. F o re x a mp l e :t h ei ma g eo f t h ebr e a d f r u i ti sas y mb o l f o rp o l i t i c a la s s e r t i o n .I t e s t a b l i s h e st h el e g i t i ma c y o f t h eCa r i b b e a ni d e n t i t y , h e n c ewh ySe l v o nd i dn o t r e f e r t oaf r u i t l i k ea na p p l e .
Ho we v e r ,t h i sn o v e l i sh i g h l yp a r a d o x i c a l .Th e s ei mmi g r a n t sf e l tc o mp e l l e dt ol e a v et h e i rh o me sa s“ n a t i v e s ” , c h o o s i n gt omo v et oame t r o p o l i t a na r e a . Th i sc a nb es e e ni nt h ev e r yp o p u l a r p o e m, “ Col oni z a t i oni nRe v e r s e ”byLoui s eBe nne t t , wr i t t e ni n1 9 6 6 . I nme t r o p o l i t a nL o n d o nt h e r ei so f t e na na t t e mp t t or e s t t h es o v e r e i g n t yo f t h ei ma g i n a t i o n . Th ei mmi g r a n t ss o o nfi n dt h a t L o n d o nd i dn o t ma t c ht h e i re x p e c t a t i o n si n c u b a t e di nt h eCa r i b b e a n . De s p i t eb e l i e v i n gt ob eBr i t i s h ,t h e ywe r es t i l l v i e we da ss t r a n g e r st oo t h e r sb o r nt h e r e .F o re x a mp l e ,Ge o r g e r e f e r st ot h e m“ not a s k i ngpe r mi s s i o n”or“ i n v i t e dc ons ul t a t i on” . The r ei sagr e a tdi s j unc t i onb e t we e nwha tt hena t i v e sunde r s t a nda ndhow t heBr i t i s hv i e wt hos e pe opl e .
2 .
“ TheT r a n s f o r ma t i onof Lo ndon ”
Th eAf r i c a np r e s e n c ei nL o n d o nwa sv e r yt a n g i b l ea n dl e g i t i ma t e .Bl a c kWe s t I n d i a n swe r ep e nni l e s s .F or e x a mpl e , Mos e sa nd“ t hebo y s ”we r es ome wha t‘ a nt hr opol og i c a l i n v e s t i ga t or s ’ . Hu ma na c t i o n sa r ej u s tab i tmo r et h a nme c h a n i c a l r e fl e x e s ,r e fl e c t i n gt h ea n a t o myo fBr i t i s hr a c i s ma tt h e t i me . Se l v o nma k e sr e f e r e n c et oOl d En g l i s hd i p l o ma c yi nc o mp a r i s o nt oAme r i c a , wh e r ed i s c r i mi n a t i o ni sma s k e d . Se l v o n ’ sn o v e l r e a l l ya ffir me dwh a tt h eWe s t I n d i a n sd i s p o s s e s s e d .T he i re v e r y d a yde c i s i onsa nda c t i ons a r en ows e e na sr e ma r k a bl e . Themi gr a nt swe r et a k i ngac l a i mt ot hec i t y .F o re x a mp l e ,t h ec h a r a c t e ro fT a n t yb e c a u s eav e r y r e s o u r c e f u lfi g u r e .Th i si ss i g n i fi c a n ti nt h es c e n ewh e r et h ewo me nt u r nt h eg r o c e r ys h o pi n t oa“ j a m s e s s i o n” .I ts h owst het e ns i onbe t we e nc e l e br a t i onoft he i ra dv a n c e me n t sa ndt het r a n s f o r ma t i onof London. Th en o v e l a l s os h o wsu st h ed i c h o t o myb e t we e nt h eb l a c k sa n dwh i t e sa n da l s ot h er i c ha n dp o o r . Wea l s o l e a r nmo r ea b o u t En g l i s hfi n a n c ea n dr e v o l u t i o n .
2
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3 .
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“ La n gua g ea ndF or m”
Se l v ona r gua bl yr e s h a pe st hehe r i t a geof Br i t i s hLi t e r a t ur e . The n a r r a t i v ev o i c e us e sr h y t hms a n dt one s of T r i n i da di a ns . Th i sa r g u a b l yc r e a t e dal i t e r a r ya r t i f a c t . L a n g u a g ei sa c a r e f u lf a b r i c a t i o n .Th i sl a n g u a g ei n p a r t i c u l a r d i s p l a y st h es e n s i b i l i t yo f as o c i e t y . I n1 9 5 6Se l v o ns a i dt h a th i sn o v e l u s e s“ a nEn g l i s ht h a t c a r r i e st h ewe i g h t o f t h eCa r i b b e a ne x p e r i e n c e ” . Wec a na l s oc o n s i d e rt h ee x t e n t t owh i c hc a l y p s op l a y sa r o l e( ak i n do f mu s i co r i g i n a t i n gi nT r i n i d a d ) . Ca l y p s oc o me st ot h ef o r e f r o n tp a r t i c u l a r l ywh e nd e a l i n g wi t ht o p i c a le v e n t s .I th e l p sg i v ear e s p o n s et oo n g o i n g e v e n t si nt h eme d i a . F o r e x a mp l e : t h ec h a r a c t e ro fT ol r o yb e c o me sa“ c a l y p s o wi t h i nt h et e x t ”s ot os p e a k . Wec a na l s ov i e wT heL one l yLondone r sa si fi twe r ea“ c a l y p s on o v e l ” .T h i si sd u et oi t se p i s o d i c n a t u r e( c o mi n gf r o mc a l y p s o ) . Th en o v e l u s e sv e r yi n n o v a t i v emi x e dl a n g u a g e , e n a c t i n gt h i smi x i n go f c u l t u r e s .
4 . Ge nd e rPr e s e n t a t i on
Ani mp o r t a n t q u e s t i o nt oa s ko u r s e l v e si s : “ Ar ewo me ne x c l u d e df r o mSe l v o n ’ sn a r r a t i v e ? ” Al s o ,i st h en o v e lmi s ogy ni s t i c ?I td o e sc o n t a i nal o to fi ma g e sr e g a r d i n gma l es e x u a l d e s i r e .Th i s ma yb ed u et ot h ev i o l e n t r e t r i b u t i o n , a swe l l a st h ec o n c e p t u a l i z a t i o no f wh i t ewo me n . I nas t r e a mo fc o n s c i o u s n e s s ,e r o t i c i s me n t e r st h et a l e .The r ea r er a t he rdi s t ur b i ngi ma ge se . g. wi t hMos e sa ndhi sl o v e rwhomh epr e s u me swi l l s oondi e . Th e r ea r ea l s oma n ys e x u a l e n c o u n t e r si ne x c h a n g ef o r mo n e y( wo me nwo r k i n ga sp r o s t i t u t e s ) . Th en o v e l a l s oc o n t a i n sma n yh i n t so fs e x u a la nda l s or a c i a le ne r g y .I td i s p l a y st h eme c h a n i c so f e v e r y d a ye x p l o i t a t i o n . Th i sd i s p l a y st h ev e r yr e p r e s s e dd o ma i no fe r o t i c i s m,wh i c hi sd i s g u i s e db yEn g l i s hd e c o r u m.Th i s l e a d su st owo n d e ri f ma yt h e r ei sp e r h a p ss o me t h i n gd e e p l yp e r v e r s ea b o u t L o n d o ns o c i e t yi ni t s e l f .
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