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highway in the sun
PAGES 9-11
START POINT: “A shop in the village of Barataria, Trinidad, during the war. An old Indian gardener, SOOKDEO, is sitting on a bag of sugar reading the newspapers. RITA MARTIN, an Afro-Trinidadian housewife enters the shop and taps impatiently with a coin on the counter. It is mid-morning.” (Selvon, 9).
SETTING
- A shop in the village of Barataria, Trinidad.
- During World War 2.
SUMMARY
Pages 9-11: Rita calls for Tall Boy, who does not answer. She asks Sookdeo where he is, and he responds that Tall Boy is coming. She grumbles that he needs to arrive quickly because she has food cooking; she then asks Sookdeo if he’s teaching Tiger to read and write, and he tells her to mind her own business. She continues talking to him, commenting on the fact that Indians marry so young, using Tiger and Urmilla as examples. Sookdeo calls her nosy, and she indignantly responds that she helped them. Sookdeo tells her that she shouldn’t act big because she is more fortunate than others. Tall Boy then enters, and she asks him for the fresh hops bread that he had promised to hold for her, but he says that she’s too late. He couldn’t keep the promise because goods are rationed because of the war. She told him that she left the money for the two hops bread, so she doesn’t care about the war and rationing, but Tall Boy tells her that he forgot in the rush of the morning.
Tall Boy then, conspiratorially, tells her that he is getting smoked herring in the morning, but she must come early because of the rush that will happen when people find out. She tells him that she won’t tell anyone and asks him to save some for her and Urmilla, and he says that he must be fair, so Urmilla has to come collect her own herring. She requests two pounds of flour, but Tall Boy tells her that he can only give her one, but he relents and gives her the two. She orders a pound of split peas next, only to discover that it has increased in price. She notes that she must start up a garden, like the Indians, but Sookdeo states that skills are required. She berates his laziness and states that Urmilla is ordering half a pound of saltfish on credit. Tall Boy says that he cannot accommodate that because Tiger still owes him five dollars from last week. Rita then tells him to give them a chance because Tiger will get paid soon.
Pages 9-11: Rita calls for Tall Boy, who does not answer. She asks Sookdeo where he is, and he responds that Tall Boy is coming. She grumbles that he needs to arrive quickly because she has food cooking; she then asks Sookdeo if he’s teaching Tiger to read and write, and he tells her to mind her own business. She continues talking to him, commenting on the fact that Indians marry so young, using Tiger and Urmilla as examples. Sookdeo calls her nosy, and she indignantly responds that she helped them. Sookdeo tells her that she shouldn’t act big because she is more fortunate than others. Tall Boy then enters, and she asks him for the fresh hops bread that he had promised to hold for her, but he says that she’s too late. He couldn’t keep the promise because goods are rationed because of the war. She told him that she left the money for the two hops bread, so she doesn’t care about the war and rationing, but Tall Boy tells her that he forgot in the rush of the morning.
Tall Boy then, conspiratorially, tells her that he is getting smoked herring in the morning, but she must come early because of the rush that will happen when people find out. She tells him that she won’t tell anyone and asks him to save some for her and Urmilla, and he says that he must be fair, so Urmilla has to come collect her own herring. She requests two pounds of flour, but Tall Boy tells her that he can only give her one, but he relents and gives her the two. She orders a pound of split peas next, only to discover that it has increased in price. She notes that she must start up a garden, like the Indians, but Sookdeo states that skills are required. She berates his laziness and states that Urmilla is ordering half a pound of saltfish on credit. Tall Boy says that he cannot accommodate that because Tiger still owes him five dollars from last week. Rita then tells him to give them a chance because Tiger will get paid soon.
QUESTIONS
- Why is Rita in a hurry to be served?
- What does Rita hear about Sookdeo, in relation to Tiger?
- How old is Urmilla, according to Rita?
- Why was Tall Boy’s excuse for NOT ‘holding’ the hops bread for Rita?
- How did Tall Boy quell Rita’s annoyance?
- Why was there an issue for Rita to get two pounds of flour?
- What did Urmilla order from Tall Boy, by way of Rita?
CHARACTERIZATION
Rita
Rita is entitled. This is the case because there is a food shortage occurring due to the war, and she feels that it is ok to demand extra flour and reserve extra hop bread and herring. She does not care that when she gets extra, someone else gets none. Rita is also very inquisitive. She has all the latest news on people and spreads their business without thought. This is seen in the case of Urmilla and Tiger. She nonchalantly spreads the fact that Urmilla is pregnant and that the young couple has no bed. She could also tell Tall Boy that Tall Boy is going to pick potatoes next week, so he will have money shortly. Rita’s inquisitive nature led her to find out about these things and this same attribute led her to spread the young couple’s business.
Tall Boy
Tall Boy is a savvy businessman. His goal is to ensure that he sells the products in his shop by creating a demand for them, so he creates that demand by telling select customers, who at times feel like they are the only ones privy to the secret, about goods that are on the way; for example, he tells Rita about the herring. He also maintains client satisfaction by ensuring that Rita feels special, that she can get anything that she wants in his store, while literally selling her ‘reserved’ hop bread because she came too late to collect it.
Sookdeo
Sookdeo is very blunt. This is seen in the way in which he handles Rita. She clearly fishes for information about Tiger, and he bluntly calls her out on her snooping each time. He is also observant. He sits in his corner of the shop, just listening to Tall Man's interactions with his customers and makes useful comments where he deems necessary. This is seen where Rita states that she might take up gardening, like Tiger and the other Indians, and Sookdeo points out that gardening takes skill: “It need some skill for that” (Selvon, 10). His interjection, at this point, takes the reader by surprise because he was so quiet that we had forgotten that he was there.
Rita is entitled. This is the case because there is a food shortage occurring due to the war, and she feels that it is ok to demand extra flour and reserve extra hop bread and herring. She does not care that when she gets extra, someone else gets none. Rita is also very inquisitive. She has all the latest news on people and spreads their business without thought. This is seen in the case of Urmilla and Tiger. She nonchalantly spreads the fact that Urmilla is pregnant and that the young couple has no bed. She could also tell Tall Boy that Tall Boy is going to pick potatoes next week, so he will have money shortly. Rita’s inquisitive nature led her to find out about these things and this same attribute led her to spread the young couple’s business.
Tall Boy
Tall Boy is a savvy businessman. His goal is to ensure that he sells the products in his shop by creating a demand for them, so he creates that demand by telling select customers, who at times feel like they are the only ones privy to the secret, about goods that are on the way; for example, he tells Rita about the herring. He also maintains client satisfaction by ensuring that Rita feels special, that she can get anything that she wants in his store, while literally selling her ‘reserved’ hop bread because she came too late to collect it.
Sookdeo
Sookdeo is very blunt. This is seen in the way in which he handles Rita. She clearly fishes for information about Tiger, and he bluntly calls her out on her snooping each time. He is also observant. He sits in his corner of the shop, just listening to Tall Man's interactions with his customers and makes useful comments where he deems necessary. This is seen where Rita states that she might take up gardening, like Tiger and the other Indians, and Sookdeo points out that gardening takes skill: “It need some skill for that” (Selvon, 10). His interjection, at this point, takes the reader by surprise because he was so quiet that we had forgotten that he was there.
TECHNIQUE
Irony
It is ironic that Sookdeo, the town drunk, is also the most educated man in the town and is able to, during his sober hours, tutor Tiger. It is very contradictory to see that the town drunkard is the scholar. There is also irony in the fact that Sookdeo is in a better situation, in terms of access to food, than Rita, who looks down on him. He has the skill and foresight to plant his garden, so that he is not dependent on Tall Boy’s goods during this time of shortage, and he is the one that Rita chooses to see as less than, despite the fact that she is haggling for food in Tall Boy’s shop.
It is ironic that Sookdeo, the town drunk, is also the most educated man in the town and is able to, during his sober hours, tutor Tiger. It is very contradictory to see that the town drunkard is the scholar. There is also irony in the fact that Sookdeo is in a better situation, in terms of access to food, than Rita, who looks down on him. He has the skill and foresight to plant his garden, so that he is not dependent on Tall Boy’s goods during this time of shortage, and he is the one that Rita chooses to see as less than, despite the fact that she is haggling for food in Tall Boy’s shop.
CONFLICT
The conflict is man versus man, as seen in the relationship between Sookdeo and Rita. From the very first scene of the play, they pick at each other; Rita tries to ferret out information, and Sookdeo tries to keep it private, resulting in tension between the two characters.
THEME
Effects of Scarcity
The theme for this portion of the play is the effects of scarcity. This is the case because different reactions to scarcity are examined. Rita’s reaction is to try to convince Tall Boy to give her more than what is rationed; Tall Boy ensures that he has a market for his goods by manipulating his customers, and Sookdeo becomes self-reliant by planting his food.
Poverty
Poverty is introduced by Urmilla and Tiger. According to Rita, they live in an unfurnished house, where they sleep on the ground, and they are taking goods on credit from Tall Boy. Tall Boy’s reluctance to grant the credit is the true measure of the couple’s poverty because the shop owner believes that they cannot repay their loan.
The theme for this portion of the play is the effects of scarcity. This is the case because different reactions to scarcity are examined. Rita’s reaction is to try to convince Tall Boy to give her more than what is rationed; Tall Boy ensures that he has a market for his goods by manipulating his customers, and Sookdeo becomes self-reliant by planting his food.
Poverty
Poverty is introduced by Urmilla and Tiger. According to Rita, they live in an unfurnished house, where they sleep on the ground, and they are taking goods on credit from Tall Boy. Tall Boy’s reluctance to grant the credit is the true measure of the couple’s poverty because the shop owner believes that they cannot repay their loan.
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.
