Sentry Page Protection
highway in the sun:
PAGES 22-28
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Characters
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pg. 9-11
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pg. 11-14
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pg. 14-21
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pg. 22-28
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pg. 28-34
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pg. 34-41
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pg. 41-47
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pg. 47-57
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START POINT: “He dashes off. JOE comes to RITA.” (Selvon, 22).
SETTING
- Rita’s yard.
- Urmilla and Tiger’s hut.
- The Savannah.
SUMMARY
Pages 22-28: Rita tells Joe that she sent Tiger to get the doctor, and Joe is annoyed and concerned because he believes that Rita has overstepped her neighbourly responsibility and should make an exit from the situation. Meanwhile, Boysie and Tiger locate a doctor, wake him and apprise him of the situation, and he tells them to go to the hospital. Tiger is puzzled as to why the doctor was unwilling to help, especially since he is an Indian, like Tiger. They try the Creole doctor down the road who is having a party, with the same result, the only difference being that he directs them to a white doctor who is always playing at being a samaritan. They then head out to find Dr. Wentworth by the Savannah.
At Rita’s house, she and Joe dismantle a bed to take to Urmilla and Tiger’s home, because Rita doesn’t want the doctor to see that the couple have no bed. Joe is annoyed and believes that they are doing too much. He questions his wife about his missing clothes that Tiger is wearing and sarcastically asks if he should deliver clean sheets and a pillow. She tells him that she will be back for them later. Joe decides to keep quiet before Rita gives away everything in their house. Joe delivers the bed frame to Urmilla and Tiger’s hut, and Urmilla thanks them, and Joe says it's no trouble.
Rita leaves to boil water, and Joe stays to finish fixing the bed. He and Urmilla then hear a car approaching the house. The doctor arrives with Tiger, and Rita asks both Tiger and Joe to leave. Tiger then tells Joe about his experience in getting a doctor to deliver his and Urmilla’s baby. Tiger explains that he is hurt because the Indian doctor flatly refused him, the Creole doctor rejected him because he could not pay, and it was only the white doctor who consented to help. He is hurt because his own countrymen would leave him and his wife to suffer because they are poor. He concludes that he wants to be educated, so that he will not remain poor. He also reveals a yearning to know things.
Their discussion is interrupted by Rita, who tells them that the baby has arrived. Tiger is disappointed that the baby is a girl, and Rita volunteers herself and Joe to pay the doctor's bill, and they will settle the bill with Tiger at a later date. Tiger vents his frustration, after the doctor leaves, about the fact that the baby is a girl, and Rita tries to calm him down and says that she will leave the bed until Urmilla feels better, at which point Tiger will hopefully come to his senses.
A week later, at the village market where she sells milk, Urmilla approaches Tall Boy, and they discuss her and Tiger’s party to celebrate the birth of the baby and Tiger’s new job. Tall Boy says he will be there, and Urmilla says that she does not even know who is coming because Tiger is going wild with the compensation money.
Pages 22-28: Rita tells Joe that she sent Tiger to get the doctor, and Joe is annoyed and concerned because he believes that Rita has overstepped her neighbourly responsibility and should make an exit from the situation. Meanwhile, Boysie and Tiger locate a doctor, wake him and apprise him of the situation, and he tells them to go to the hospital. Tiger is puzzled as to why the doctor was unwilling to help, especially since he is an Indian, like Tiger. They try the Creole doctor down the road who is having a party, with the same result, the only difference being that he directs them to a white doctor who is always playing at being a samaritan. They then head out to find Dr. Wentworth by the Savannah.
At Rita’s house, she and Joe dismantle a bed to take to Urmilla and Tiger’s home, because Rita doesn’t want the doctor to see that the couple have no bed. Joe is annoyed and believes that they are doing too much. He questions his wife about his missing clothes that Tiger is wearing and sarcastically asks if he should deliver clean sheets and a pillow. She tells him that she will be back for them later. Joe decides to keep quiet before Rita gives away everything in their house. Joe delivers the bed frame to Urmilla and Tiger’s hut, and Urmilla thanks them, and Joe says it's no trouble.
Rita leaves to boil water, and Joe stays to finish fixing the bed. He and Urmilla then hear a car approaching the house. The doctor arrives with Tiger, and Rita asks both Tiger and Joe to leave. Tiger then tells Joe about his experience in getting a doctor to deliver his and Urmilla’s baby. Tiger explains that he is hurt because the Indian doctor flatly refused him, the Creole doctor rejected him because he could not pay, and it was only the white doctor who consented to help. He is hurt because his own countrymen would leave him and his wife to suffer because they are poor. He concludes that he wants to be educated, so that he will not remain poor. He also reveals a yearning to know things.
Their discussion is interrupted by Rita, who tells them that the baby has arrived. Tiger is disappointed that the baby is a girl, and Rita volunteers herself and Joe to pay the doctor's bill, and they will settle the bill with Tiger at a later date. Tiger vents his frustration, after the doctor leaves, about the fact that the baby is a girl, and Rita tries to calm him down and says that she will leave the bed until Urmilla feels better, at which point Tiger will hopefully come to his senses.
A week later, at the village market where she sells milk, Urmilla approaches Tall Boy, and they discuss her and Tiger’s party to celebrate the birth of the baby and Tiger’s new job. Tall Boy says he will be there, and Urmilla says that she does not even know who is coming because Tiger is going wild with the compensation money.
QUESTIONS
- How does Joe feel about Rita’s involvement in the delivery of Urmilla and Tiger’s baby?
- How many doctors did Boysie and Tiger locate, and what was each doctor’s response to his request for them to help in the delivery of the baby?
- What were two reasons behind Rita loaning the bed to Urmilla and Tiger?
- Why was Tiger hurt about the responses of the two first doctors, and what course of action does he want to pursue as a result?
- How does Tiger react to the fact that his baby is a girl?
- Quote one line that highlights that Tiger is overspending on his party?
- What is the purpose of Tiger’s party?
CHARACTERIZATION
Tiger
Tiger is ambitious. His ambition, however, does not take a tangible form; it takes the vague form of being educated. He has not seemed to work out, at this point, how this education can translate into money that will take him out of poverty. He also presents as an imprudent man because the first thing that he does, upon receiving his compensation money, is to throw a party to celebrate his new job and his daughter’s birth. His wife implies that the party is “Tiger like he going wild with the compensation money.” (Selvon, 28). Lastly, Tiger is inconsiderate. This is seen when he loses his temper when he discovers that his wife had a baby girl. There was no consideration about what his wife endured during her complicated labour. Instead, as soon as the doctor left, he threw a fit. While it must be acknowledged that he did endure a lot that night, driving around and being rejected by two doctors, his young wife brought a human being into the world, and he could only think about the disappointing fact that this new human being is a girl.
Boysie
Boysie is such a good friend to Tiger. He does not complain that Tiger has him driving around town to find a doctor; instead, he becomes Tiger’s champion in their search for a doctor by hurrying him along when he slows down: “Let we go quick” (Selvon, 24).
Rita
Rita is also a good friend to Urmilla. She not only tries to help to deliver Urmilla’s baby, but she takes the bed and linens out of her own house to ensure that Urmilla is not only comfortable, but also to ensure that the fact that Urmilla has no bed is not exposed to the doctor.
Joe
Joe is a reluctantly good friend to Tiger. He listens to Tiger talk about his dream of becoming educated and waits with him for the birth of his child. He does all this despite his reserved nature.
Tiger is ambitious. His ambition, however, does not take a tangible form; it takes the vague form of being educated. He has not seemed to work out, at this point, how this education can translate into money that will take him out of poverty. He also presents as an imprudent man because the first thing that he does, upon receiving his compensation money, is to throw a party to celebrate his new job and his daughter’s birth. His wife implies that the party is “Tiger like he going wild with the compensation money.” (Selvon, 28). Lastly, Tiger is inconsiderate. This is seen when he loses his temper when he discovers that his wife had a baby girl. There was no consideration about what his wife endured during her complicated labour. Instead, as soon as the doctor left, he threw a fit. While it must be acknowledged that he did endure a lot that night, driving around and being rejected by two doctors, his young wife brought a human being into the world, and he could only think about the disappointing fact that this new human being is a girl.
Boysie
Boysie is such a good friend to Tiger. He does not complain that Tiger has him driving around town to find a doctor; instead, he becomes Tiger’s champion in their search for a doctor by hurrying him along when he slows down: “Let we go quick” (Selvon, 24).
Rita
Rita is also a good friend to Urmilla. She not only tries to help to deliver Urmilla’s baby, but she takes the bed and linens out of her own house to ensure that Urmilla is not only comfortable, but also to ensure that the fact that Urmilla has no bed is not exposed to the doctor.
Joe
Joe is a reluctantly good friend to Tiger. He listens to Tiger talk about his dream of becoming educated and waits with him for the birth of his child. He does all this despite his reserved nature.
TECHNIQUE
Irony
Irony is seen in the fact that Tiger is throwing a party for a one-week-old baby girl that has disappointed him because she is a girl. Tiger also points out the irony that a white doctor was more willing to help him than his own Creole or Indian countrymen: “Your own countrymen would let you down, and a man that don’t even belong to Trinidad come to my old carat hut.” (Selvon, p. 26).
Irony is seen in the fact that Tiger is throwing a party for a one-week-old baby girl that has disappointed him because she is a girl. Tiger also points out the irony that a white doctor was more willing to help him than his own Creole or Indian countrymen: “Your own countrymen would let you down, and a man that don’t even belong to Trinidad come to my old carat hut.” (Selvon, p. 26).
CONFLICT
Man versus man is seen when Tiger’s plea for help with the delivery of his baby is met with refusal. Tiger interprets these rejections by his Indian and Creole countrymen as offensive because people from the same country should help each other.
THEME
Poverty
Poverty is highlighted because Tiger believes that the rejection by the doctors is rooted in the fact that he is disregarded because he is poor. He has nothing, so both doctors feel no obligation to try and help him. The Creole doctor points this out when he says that he has nothing to exchange, not even a chicken. This implies that he would have considered helping him, but his destitution is not appreciated. It is clear that Tiger and Urmilla are poverty-stricken because they do not have a bed to sleep on, they owe Tall Boy money, and they are living off the things that Rita gives them, such as Joe’s old clothes, and Rita even loans them a bed because she did not want Urmilla to suffer any shame when the doctor came to the house to deliver the baby.
Poverty is highlighted because Tiger believes that the rejection by the doctors is rooted in the fact that he is disregarded because he is poor. He has nothing, so both doctors feel no obligation to try and help him. The Creole doctor points this out when he says that he has nothing to exchange, not even a chicken. This implies that he would have considered helping him, but his destitution is not appreciated. It is clear that Tiger and Urmilla are poverty-stricken because they do not have a bed to sleep on, they owe Tall Boy money, and they are living off the things that Rita gives them, such as Joe’s old clothes, and Rita even loans them a bed because she did not want Urmilla to suffer any shame when the doctor came to the house to deliver the baby.
Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas
Seovon, S. Highway in the Sun. Peepal Tree Press, Great Britain, 1991.
Seovon, S. Highway in the Sun. Peepal Tree Press, Great Britain, 1991.
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Characters
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pg. 9-11
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pg. 11-14
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pg. 14-21
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pg. 22-28
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pg. 28-34
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pg. 34-41
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pg. 41-47
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pg. 47-57
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