The Lonely Londoners

Pages 101-106 of The Lonely Londoners are the beginning of a ten-age extended stream of consciousness passage that appears toward the end of the narrative.  In this section the narrator describes the summer in contrast to the winter, depicting the change in attitude, emotion and behavior that the warm weather brings for both the boys and London’s residents as a whole. The use of the stream of consciousness as one long run on sentence free of commas and periods, conveys the boys’ euphoric state of mind and sense of liberation as they revel in the shift from winter to summer. These changes in attitude, emotion and behavior are both hopeful and ironically not hopeful. While it seems on the one hand to suggest that the boys may eventually find acceptance in London, on the other hand it suggests that they are constantly migrating. This is because the greatest joy of summer for them is how it brings back memories of home. Summer will come and go again and their minds will return home again, over and over. In the meantime, the hardships of the migrant space will continue as well. Selvon’s use of contrast, imagery and diction, and his portrayal of the sexual episodes in summer bring these ideas out very vividly.

        The contrasts between winter and summer in London tells “the boys’” remembrance of home. On page 101 the narrator talks about the scenery in the city, describing the girls’ transition from heavy winter coats to light summer frocks. For the boys,’ the change in the girls’ clothing represents the image of home because it reminds them of the light clothing worn in the warm Caribbean islands. It also represents the liberation from the bodies’ barriers. The narrator’s contrast of the weather also signifies “the boys” connection to home. In the passage on page 102, the summer is described with sunny skies and warm winds “like back home”, while the winter is described as cold and foggy. The reference to home signifies “the boys’” memory of it. They are appreciating home even more because they do not get to experience the summer time all year round in London. The narrator mentions the people back in the Caribbean taking the warm weather for granted because they get to experience it everyday. While comparing winter and summer in London, Selvon uses imagery and diction to create mental images of the change in seasons.

The use of imagery and diction in the stream of consciousness passage reveals “the boys’” vibrant reminiscences of home. Bright, lively colors and images are used when talking about the summer but dull, lifeless colors and images are used when talking about the winter. On page 102, the narrator describes the summer with sunny blue skies, however, the winter is described as nasty and grey, with grim trees. This is relevant to the change in attitudes, emotions, and behaviors of “the boys” in London’s society. In the summer “the boys” are energetic and vivacious because it reminds them of being back home. In the winter “the boys” are inert and gloomy because they are reminded of the migrant space they are in. “The boys” are constantly migrating emotionally with each change in season. Through imagery and diction, Selvon represents how the summer affects “the boys” in comparison to the winter.