Caribbeans in Britain as Reflected in Selvon's The Lonely Londoners

Mgr. Bc. Eliška Klanicová

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

Tato bakalářská práce se zabývá tématem karibské imigrace do Velké Británie, zkoumá historické souvislosti imigrace a její efekty a postavení karibské komunity v Británii. Ve druhé části se práce zaměřuje na analýzu románu The Lonely Londoners od Samuela Selvona. Nejdříve je zkoumán jazyk románu, který Selvon použil jako způsob komunikace se čtenářem. Poté jsou popsány Selvonovy románové postavy. Tito karibští imigranti zažívají rasismus i segregaci z britské většinové společnosti a cítí se osamělí, protože karibská komunita nedrží pevně při sobě.

Abstract:

This bachelor thesis explores the topic of Caribbean immigration to Great Britain. It inquires into the history of immigration and its effects, and into the position of the Afro-Caribbean community in Britain. After the part that examines the topic from the historical perspective, the thesis focuses on analysis of Samuel Selvon's novel The Lonely Londoners. It comments on the language employed in the novel as a means of communication with the readership. Finally, the thesis deals with the situation of Selvon's Afro-Caribbean characters. The characters experience racism and segregation from the white British majority and they feel lonely because the Afro-Caribbean community does not hold strongly together.

Keywords

Caribbean, Great Britain, immigration, immigration law, racism, discrimination, segregation, Samuel Selvon, The Lonely Londoners

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 13. 5. 2010

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 10. 6. 2010
• Supervisor: PhDr. Lidia Kyzlinková, CSc.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Bachelor programme / field:
Philology / English Language and Literature