Critical Analysis Of Other Authors’ View On Race Book Reviews Example

Critical Review of Race of the Book Small Island

Introduction
Small Island is a prize winning fictional book authored by Andrea Levy. Levy uses four main characters namely Gilbert, Bernard, Hortense and Queenie. The author successfully employs the narration technique where by each character narrates their story. The novel is written to mimic Jamaican immigrants who had moved to England in the mid-90s in search for greener pastures. In this novel, the author illuminates the theme of race, as the Jamaican immigrants adapt to life in England. For that matter, this paper critics the theme of race as embodied in the novel and marries this depiction with literal works on race by author authors.

On the other hand, Edward Said brings in the concept of orientalism and its racial and cultural underpinnings. Orientalism, as depicted by Said, denotes the West’s patronization and depiction of North African, Middle East and Asian societies. Said opines that orientalism was engineered by the imperialists. According to Said, the West’s study of Islamic civilization was a political strategy to gain intelligent information about the Middle East, as well assert their superiority. In other words, it is a form of cultural discrimination in which the West paint Western culture as the most superior.
These concepts, the concepts of discrimination, are clearly communicated in the Andrea’s fictional book. Some of the main characters who strongly bring about the concept of racism include Bernard and Hortense. The context in which the novel is based on is vital in the analysis of the manner in which the characters understand, communicate and perform race. In the current society, racism in not tolerated (Nagel 41). It is seen as a vice, and for that matter, the novel attains the goal of painting a character as a racist or not. For instance, Queenie seems to have a neutral look at different people in Britain. Unlike other characters, Queenie values Black people just like the other races. Queenie does not mind having lunch with Gilbert, a Black, and as such, she is portrayed as moral and fearless and could easily fit in the current society. In essence, Queenie is not derailed by bordersim.
Heather Dalmage notes that those who show color or racial tolerance transverse the borderism barriers. In the current society, matters of color and race are highly sensitive. Dalmage outlines the underpinnings of the current society’s differences on the basis of color. In the same spirit, Andrea contrasts pre-colonial and post-colonial perception of racism. The aspect of change is evident here. Queenie’s racial tolerant nature helps her to win the affection of modernists who champion racial integration. Conversely, Benard is depicted as a racist; he seems to be wallowing the quagmire of borderism, and, for that matter, he lacks racial tolerance.
Similarly, Hortense portrays some aspects of racism; she makes an impression that because her skin is light, she is superior. Again, this is another scenario where bordrism is rooted. Hortesne has still limited by the stings of borderism; she lacks color tolerance, and, for that matter, her behavior qualifies her to be a racist. The author manipulates the reader’s minds and perceptions by making them change with respect to a given a character. Levy manages to trigger a certain perception of the characters in the minds of the readers (41).
Furthermore, Levy manages to illuminate on English racism and orientalism. This concept can be better understood through Edward Said’s explanation of orientalism. As noted earlier, orientalism, denotes the West’s patronization and depiction of the North African, Middle East and Asian societies. In addition, it was engineered by the imperialists. In other words, it is a form of cultural discrimination in which the West paint Western culture as the most superior. Gilbert is relieved to know that as much as he can reel off the names of canals found in England and the prominent industries located in each town, Jamaican map cannot even be found on a map. The experiences succumbed by Gilbert as a West Indian in the R.A.F are contrasted with the lot of the Black G.I’s in the air forces of the United States. American bases are strictly segregated, in that the blacks and white G.I are given passes for leave on different days. To begin with, being a British Empire subject is to have a superior black skin. These episodes illuminate the depiction of Western culture as superior to others.
In addition, Duster opines that racism originates and is reproduced in particular forms of struggle between labor and capital, more specifically in the modern time where employment of migrants labor is dominant (118).
According Duster, the right to be prejudiced is mostly claimed at the heritage of the freeborn Briton; with the British colonial being the primary factor (118). Economic coercion are involved in Migrant labor and plantation slavery. These are some of the instances of how race becomes a distinctive feature at an economic development level. In this view, race is a political category. For instance, Gilbert Joseph is exposed to intense racism shortly after fighting Hitler in an attempt to attain England’s freedom. Gilbert’s skin pigmentation, facial features, and hair texture deprives him the right to be accorded with respect as one of the England heroes. Even after proving his loyalty to the Mother Country, he still ends up working for the postal service as an accounts clerk. Six months later after his arrival, his wife joins him. Regardless of being trained as a teacher, Hortense ventured into sewing to make ends meet.
In addition, Huntington’s meaning of race discourses, nationalism, gender difference, patriotism, Englishness, gender difference and militarism are highlights of the present society’s civilization (1). These aspects can be linked to an intricate system that defines the contemporary meaning of race. In his race definition, Huntington involves heavy terminologies such as xenophobia. Xenophobia is unreasonable and strong dislike or the fear of people from other countries (1). It is probably out of this fear that England citizens discriminate against people from Caribbean. It is some of these among others things that the black characters in Small Island succumb to. For instance, Gilbert also has a strong Caribbean accent that when he communicates, he reflects some of the English terminologies in his home language; a scenario that was critically criticized in England. As if this was not enough, the black community in Small Island reside in poor houses and although they are educated in various professional fields such as teaching, they still lack employment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the back stories that are echoed by the author in this book are not only widening our sympathies, but also chastening our judgments. In essence, the back stories mold the plot of the book by giving the audience hints that some of the characters are never accessed to. The narrative method has been used effectively used in a novel where mutual incomprehension and racial prejudice seem to dominate. The theme of race has been illustrated by different characters in the novel. The concepts of borderism and orientalism, which are explanations for the current racial developments in society, have accounted for the theme of race as depicted in the novel.

Works Cited

Andrea, Levy. Small Island. London: Headline Review, 2004. Print.
Dalmage, Heather. Discovering Racial Borders. Tripping on the Color Line: Black-white Multiracial Families in a Racially Divided World. Rutgers: Rutgers University Press, 2000. Print.
Duster, Troy. Race: Essays on the Concept and its Uses in Multi-Racial and Multi-Cultural Societies. Berlin: Gesamthochschule, 1995. Print.
Huntington, Samuel. Clash of Civilizations www.foreigners .com. Web. Accessed from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/48950/samuel-p-huntington/the-clash-of- civilizations
Said, Edwards. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books, 1978. Print.
Nagel, Joanne. Race, Ethnicity, and Sexuality: Intimate Intersections, Forbidden Frontiers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print.