In the Castle of My Skin

The novel In The Castle Of My Skin by Barbadian novelist George Lamming and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, a native of Dominica both deal in-depth with the lives of their characters during colonialism. Similarly each author tackles the idea of alienation and loss of identity placed upon their characters, through such literary techniques as point of view, setting and characterization. One can successfully compare and contrast the novels and seek to attain a greater appreciation and understanding of the authors and their works. In The Castle Of My Skin Lamming shows alienation through point of view. In chapter 11 he reverts back to first person in the voice of G. G is the main character of the novel, he is depicted as an autobiographical character of Lamming at an early age. G's feeling of alienation occurs when he returns from high school and is separated socially from others in the village. Many believe him to be part of another world, a world that they did not understand because it was only made available to a selective few. The prestige, knowledge and self-confidence provided within the confinements of the high school was unknown to the villagers therefore they could no longer accept G to be one of them nor could he accept them.

I was no longer one of the boys .whether or not they wanted me they excluded me from their world just as my memory of them and the village excluded me from the world of the High School. It would have been easier to go to a more respectable district. (212)

G's awareness of his indifference and segregation from society is somewhat similar to that of Antoinette Cosway, a young Creole girl who is living in Jamaica during the times of emancipation. At the beginning of the novel Rhys introduces the young girl in first person point of view, like In The Castle Of My Skin this allows readers to understand better what the protagonists are thinking. Antoinette as we later find out is her name is weary of the adversities set

Bibliography: Rhys, Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea. London: Longman, 2001 Lamming, George. In The Castle Of My Skin. London: Longman, 1987 King, Bruce. West Indian Literature. London: Macmillan Education ltd, 1995