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Raymond's Run - Literature Notes
Austin C. Clarke was a Barbadian novelist, essayist and short story writer. He received his early education at Anglican schools in Barbados, and attended the University of Toronto's Trinity College.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Clarke_(novelist)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Clarke_(novelist)
SUMMARY
This is the story of Henry, who has recently gotten married to Agatha Barbara Sellman-White. She is a white, educated and Jewish white woman, while he is a black West Indian immigrant. They reside in Canada and the reader is made aware of Henry's journey to get used to being married to a woman who is his polar opposite, whom he does not seem to understand. The story opens with Henry's friend, Boysie, wondering what has happened. He realizes that Henry's room is filled with books, which leads to Henry expounding on the frustrations of trying to get used to a different life. She awakens Henry, culturally and intellectually, which is uncomfortable for him, coupled with living in a society that does not allow him to stretch to his potential. He is frustrated and angry with this awakening. He is particularly fixated on the fact that Canada is a country of immigrants, but that some immigrants, the white ones, are accepted while the black ones, like himself, are subjected to discriminatory treatment on a daily basis. His wedding was disrupted due to race and he and his wife cannot get good housing, based on that same issue of race. The story ends with a poem that Henry wrote to his wife, one that identifies time as the major problematic issue in his marriage.
SETTING
The story is set in Canada, in 1959.
CHARACTERS
Henry:
Boysie
THEMES
Friendship
Boysie is a good friend to Henry. He listens to Henry complain about his wife and his new life and then highlights the positives in a non-judgmental way. He looks out for his friend's happiness and well being, which is the mark of a good friend.
Racism
The reader observes Henry's extreme frustration at not being able to
TECHNIQUES
Juxtaposition - Sque
Situational Irony - It is
Allusion - Sque
Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas
Bambara, T.C, 'Raymond's Run' in A World of Prose, edited by David Williams and Hazel Simmons-McDonald. (Harlow, Essex) Pearson Education, 2005.
https://www.eso.org/public/outreach/eduoff/vt-2004/mt-2003/mt-mercury-mythology.html
This is the story of Henry, who has recently gotten married to Agatha Barbara Sellman-White. She is a white, educated and Jewish white woman, while he is a black West Indian immigrant. They reside in Canada and the reader is made aware of Henry's journey to get used to being married to a woman who is his polar opposite, whom he does not seem to understand. The story opens with Henry's friend, Boysie, wondering what has happened. He realizes that Henry's room is filled with books, which leads to Henry expounding on the frustrations of trying to get used to a different life. She awakens Henry, culturally and intellectually, which is uncomfortable for him, coupled with living in a society that does not allow him to stretch to his potential. He is frustrated and angry with this awakening. He is particularly fixated on the fact that Canada is a country of immigrants, but that some immigrants, the white ones, are accepted while the black ones, like himself, are subjected to discriminatory treatment on a daily basis. His wedding was disrupted due to race and he and his wife cannot get good housing, based on that same issue of race. The story ends with a poem that Henry wrote to his wife, one that identifies time as the major problematic issue in his marriage.
SETTING
The story is set in Canada, in 1959.
CHARACTERS
Henry:
- A West Indian immigrant, from Barbados.
- He does not understand, or appreciate, his wife's seeming obsession with books
- He does not understand her obsession with black culture and seems to be embarrassed by it, at least initially.
- He appreciates his wife's resourcefulness.
- He is angry at the discrimination that he faces daily, from getting his wedding shut down, to difficulties in finding an apartment.
- Despite the fact that Henry complains about his wife, he loves her, as seen in the poem that he writes for her.
- Henry is creative, as seen in his poem.
Boysie
- Henry's best friend who pays him a visit after his wedding.
- He appreciates Henry's new life and the changes that his wife have made, both physically (to the room) and intellectually (to his friend).
- He is a good listener who gives his friend time to talk.
THEMES
Friendship
Boysie is a good friend to Henry. He listens to Henry complain about his wife and his new life and then highlights the positives in a non-judgmental way. He looks out for his friend's happiness and well being, which is the mark of a good friend.
Racism
The reader observes Henry's extreme frustration at not being able to
TECHNIQUES
Juxtaposition - Sque
Situational Irony - It is
Allusion - Sque
Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas
Bambara, T.C, 'Raymond's Run' in A World of Prose, edited by David Williams and Hazel Simmons-McDonald. (Harlow, Essex) Pearson Education, 2005.
https://www.eso.org/public/outreach/eduoff/vt-2004/mt-2003/mt-mercury-mythology.html
