Throughout the story, V. S. Naipaul uses stereotypes and racial prejudice to create humour through satire. The following are a couple particularly effective examples. There were many different cultures inhabiting Trinidad when the story takes place, and a predominant effect of prejudice among the local people was that one needed to be of a particular culture to be successful in certain vocations. The protagonist losing his job at the newly converted grocery store he used to bake at, due to his being black, attests to this.
Now having decided to start his own bakery, he fails miserably to bring in customers. Feeling disappointed and confused, he encounters his old colleague Percy again. Percy states that when he goes to a restaurant, he avoids food prepared by blacks. Humorously, he realizes his folly-the solution had been apparent all along; no one would buy bread from him because he was black, and he was the one serving customers! In this fashion, V. S. Naipaul satirizes the pervasive nature of these prejudices, creating humour through his protagonist’s own inability to discern the obvious.
The protagonist also makes a frequent habit of commenting on the stereotypes common between Trinidad and Grenada. Reflecting on his earlier mistake, -thereby adding insult to injury-he remarks that maybe the Trinidadians’ general view of Grenadians as being “stupid” might hold some truth after all. Again, V. S. Naipaul uses his protagonist’s own stereotypes against him, forcing the audience to discern their validity. In this way we can clearly see how V.
The Essay on Scout Atticus Prejudice Black
Danielle Nadeker Honors US History 05/12/00 To Kill A Mocking Bird Essay It is a common fact that the pre-war South was extremely prejudiced. Blacks were thought of as no more than property that could be traded or sold. Therefore, when a black was accused of committing a crime, blame was automatically assigned regardless of whether or not the accusation was truthful. In this story, Atticus Finch ...
S. Naipaul uses satire in an effective fashion.
