The Emigrants
by George Lamming
49 Members (2.75)
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The Emigrants is an elaborately conceived novel, dense with dynamic characters and evocative details. First published in 1954, it focuses initially on the emigrant journey, then on the settling-in process. The journey by sea and subsequent attempts at resettlement provide the fictional framework for Lamming's exploration of the alienation and displacement caused by colonialism. This is the epic journey of a group of West Indians who emigrate to Great Britain in the 1950s in search of show more educational opportunities unattainable at home. Seeking to redefine themselves in the "mother country," an idealized landscape that they have been taught to revere, the emigrants settle uncomfortably in England's industrial cities. Within two years, ghettoization is firmly in place. The emigrants discover the meaning of their marginality in the British Empire in an environment that is unexpectedly hostile and strange. For some, alienation prompts a new sense of community, a new sense of identity as West Indians. For others, alienation leads to a crisis of confrontation with the law and fugitive status. There is a wealth of information here about the genesis of the black British community and about the cultural differences between the black British and West Indian/Caribbean. show lessTags
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60 works; 28 members
Author Information
18+ Works 732 Members
Born in Carrington Village, Barbados, Lamming taught in Trinidad and Venezuela before going to England in 1950. In England, he worked in a factory and also hosted a book program for the BBC West Indian Service while pursuing his writing. Lamming's works are a panorama of West Indian history with a strong sense of nationalism. In the Castle of My show more Skin (1953) is at least partially autobiographical in its presentation of the protagonist's growing sense of individuality and his consequent estrangement from the village and folk community. The subsequent exile of this protagonist is told in The Emigrants (1954), his return is the focus in Of Age and Innocence (1958), and the reclamation of his heritage is the major theme in Season of Adventure (1960). His novels focus on the social and economic changes taking place in the Caribbean, and he uses his protagonists as mouthpieces for his own ideas. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- The Emigrants
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- Members
- 49
- Popularity
- 614,073
- Rating
- (2.75)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
