In 1956, with two books under his belt but plagued by uncertain prospects, V.S. Naipaul left Britain for an extended stay in Trinidad. The experience disillusioned him, as he felt like even more of an outsider than he did in England. His Oxford education made the locals treat him as an outsider, while his appearance was becoming a liability among nationalist groups. The General Elections were in full swing, and while Naipaul felt disenfranchised by the results, as an artist he couldn’t help seeing the potential for a real novel about Trinidad. As he wrote to his wife, Pat, “From the writing point of view, this land is pure gold… Trinidad is a funny place. It has a population less than Nottingham’s yet, while Churchill calls England an island, they call T’dad a country. And…
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Citation: Grasso, Joshua. "The Suffrage of Elvira". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 October 2020 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7854, accessed 21 November 2024.]
