Jamaican Fragment by A.L. Hendricks
I. Background
- Genre: Semi-autobiographical Short Story or Realistic
Fiction. It reflects real-world social dynamics and personal
observations regarding race.
- Point of View: First-Person.
- How: The narrator is a Jamaican man who observes two young boys
playing in a garden while he walks to and from work.
- Why: This perspective is crucial because the story is about the
narrator’s internal reaction to what he sees. It allows the reader
to experience his immediate prejudice, his growing anxiety, and his
ultimate realization alongside him.
- Setting: Jamaica (specifically a suburban street during the
narrator's daily walk).
- The setting is vibrant and tropical, but the social
atmosphere is heavy with the historical "shadow" of British
colonialism and racial hierarchy.
- Tone and Mood:
- Tone: Reflective, Analytical, and ultimately Hopeful. The
author examines his own biases with a critical eye.
- Mood: Tense and Thought-provoking. The reader feels the narrator's
discomfort as he watches what he believes is a scene of racial
submission.
II. Character and Characterization
- The Narrator (Protagonist): A sophisticated,
observant Jamaican man. He is characterized by his deep pride in his
country and his sensitivity to racial injustice. However, his quickness to
jump to conclusions reveals that he is still subconsciously affected by
the colonial "inferiority complex".
- The Little White Boy: A "sturdy"
five-year-old. Initially characterized as a "master" who gives
orders. Later, it is revealed he is just a child playing a game of
"follow the leader".
- The Little Black Boy: A "smaller"
four-year-old. Initially seen as "subservient" and
"obedient," he is later revealed to be just as capable of being
the "boss" the following day.
- The White Man (at the gate): Initially assumed by the
narrator to be a "tourist" or a "stranger" witnessing
the black boy's "inferiority". He is later revealed to be the
father of both boys, symbolizing the blurring of racial lines through
family.
III. Conflict Analysis
Internal Conflict (Man vs. Self)
The narrator struggles with Perception vs.Reality. He sees
a game and interprets it through the lens of racial history. He spends an
entire night agonized by the thought that even at four years old, a black child
"naturally" accepts a subordinate role.
External Conflict (Man vs. Society)
This is a conflict against Societal Prejudice and Stereotypes.
The narrator is fighting the invisible ghost of colonialism—the idea that
"White is Master" and "Black is Servant". He fears that his
society hasn't actually progressed past these roles.
Conflict Resolution
The conflict is resolved on the second day when the roles are
reversed: the black boy is the "master" and the white boy is the
"servant". The narrator realizes it was just a game. The
ultimate resolution occurs when he speaks to the white man at the gate and
realizes the boys are brothers, proving that his anxiety was rooted in his own
biases rather than the children's reality.
IV. Themes and Author’s Purpose
- The Prejudiced Eye: We see the world not as
it is, but as we are. The narrator’s own past and social
conditioning made him see oppression where there was only play.
- Childhood Innocence: Children are
"color-blind" to race until adults project their prejudices onto
them. The boys see each other as playmates; only the narrator sees them as
"master and servant".
- Racial Equality: The story serves as a
reminder that biological or inherent superiority does not exist; power
dynamics in the story are shown to be fluid and arbitrary.
- Author’s Purpose: Hendricks aims to expose
the "internalized racism" that can exist even in those who
consciously oppose it. He wants to show that the path to a truly
post-racial society requires unlearning the habit of looking for racial
meaning in every interaction.
V. Literary Devices and Symbolism
- Symbolism (The Game): The game of "Follow
the Leader" symbolizes the Power Dynamics of society. By
having the children switch roles, the author symbols that leadership and
service are not tied to skin color.
- Irony (Situational): The narrator, who is
black and proud, is the one who most quickly assumes the black child is
inferior. He is "more prejudiced" in that moment than the white
man at the gate.
- Imagery: The description of the boys—one "lemon-colored"
with "hazel eyes" and the other "coal-black" with
"black eyes"—uses vivid contrast to emphasize their physical
differences, making the narrator's subsequent "role-playing"
interpretation more visually striking.
VI. Summary
While walking to work, a Jamaican narrator observes two young
boys—one white and one black—playing in a garden. To his horror, the white boy
is bossing the black boy around, and the black boy is obeying without question.
The narrator becomes deeply depressed, wondering if black people are
"naturally" prone to subservience. The next day, however, he sees the
black boy commanding the white boy. He realizes his mistake: the children were
simply playing a game. Ashamed of his own quick judgment, he explains his
thoughts to a white man watching the boys, only to find out the man is the
boys' father and his wife is Jamaican. The boys are brothers, and the narrator
realizes his own prejudices had blinded him to the truth.
