Immigrant Life: Caribbean to UK – A Personal Journey
Wherever I Hang My Knickers
This poem explores the journey of a female immigrant from the Caribbean to the UK. The use of phrases like “Wherever I hang my knickers, that’s my home” clearly indicates the speaker’s gender and her attempt to adapt to a new life.
Leaving the Caribbean
The speaker is leaving behind the vibrant life of the Caribbean – nature, food, friends, colors, and calypso – due to poverty. She seeks a life of dignity in the city.
A Positive View of England?
Initially, England is portrayed positively. The poem is divided into two stanzas. The first stanza reflects the speaker’s uncertainty about leaving but also highlights her motivations: escaping poverty, seeking dignity, and starting anew.
Challenges in Britain
The second stanza introduces a different perspective, possibly from someone already in England, revealing the difficulties of life in Britain. The speaker acknowledges homesickness but demonstrates an ability to cope and accept her new reality.
Cultural Differences
- Weather: The warmth of the Caribbean contrasts sharply with the cold, snowy, and foggy weather of England.
- Urban Environment: England is characterized by cramped cities and crowds, unlike the implied spaciousness of the Caribbean.
Adaptation and Acceptance
The phrase “that’s my home” suggests a shift in the speaker’s identity and adaptation to her new surroundings. She finds new friends and customs, ultimately accepting England with a sense of happiness and integration.
Back Home
England vs. Home
This poem presents a stark contrast between England and the speaker’s homeland, highlighting a sense of longing and loss.
Longing for Home
The constant repetition of “back home” emphasizes the speaker’s deep yearning for their origin. “Back Home” becomes a bittersweet memory – sweet because of the positive recollections, but sad because it’s unattainable.
Memories of Home
The poem is structured in four stanzas, each focusing on a different aspect of “back home”:
- The first stanza evokes the happy, bright days and sunshine.
- The second stanza highlights the diverse and abundant food.
- The third stanza emphasizes freedom, comfort, peace, and quiet.
- The fourth stanza directly contrasts England and Home, focusing on the negative aspects of Britain: lack of warm weather, limited fruit variety, and the absence of a relaxing sea.
Reluctant Acceptance
Unlike the first poem, this speaker accepts their new life reluctantly, showing little sign of integration.
Similarities Between Both Poems
- Both poems center on the theme of “home.”
- Both speakers are immigrants from the Caribbean.
- Both express a degree of homesickness, though the intensity varies.
- Weather serves as a significant point of contrast between England and their homeland.
Second Class Citizen: A Story of Struggle
The Reality of Immigration
This extract from Second Class Citizen sheds light on the harsh realities faced by immigrants, who were often treated as second-class citizens with limited rights and privileges.
Family and Sacrifice
Adah, Francis, and their daughter Titi represent a family unit navigating the challenges of immigration. Francis had previously traveled to England, assuring his family of a better life there.
Culture Shock in Britain
The family is shocked by the living conditions in Britain. Houses are described as terraced, resembling monasteries, with uniform curtains and small rooms. Toilets are located outside, four floors down, and there are no proper kitchens or baths.
Housing Disparity
The narrative contrasts the cramped housing in London with the spacious detached houses with verandas and gardens they had in Nigeria. Rooms and kitchens were significantly larger in their homeland.
The Price of Opportunity
Despite the better living conditions in Nigeria, Adah’s desire for education and a brighter future for her family compels them to endure the hardships in Britain. They sacrifice everything for this opportunity, highlighting the difficult choices faced by many immigrants.