the story jamaican fragment shows us that stereotypes can make us narrow minded in our thinking whereas the reality around us can be full of pleasant surprises explain this statement in context of the events in the story
Answers
Answer:
and 2 in your own words.
About the author
A.L.Hendriks was born in 1922 in Kingston, Jamaica, to a Jamaican father and a French
mother. He was a Jamaican poet, writer, and broadcasting director (known as Micky
Hendriks in his broadcasting career). He was particularly well known for his contributions to
the Christian Science Monitor, The Daily Gleaner, and BIM. He also contributed as a
columnist and literary critic to the Daily Gleaner. His first poetic achievement was the
collection of verse, “On This Mountain and Other Poems”. He died in 1992 at the age of 69.
Introduction
Jamaican Fragment is a story about a man, who during his regular walk to and from work
encounters an irregularity that he views as an act of inferiority. It deals with a Jamaican’s
internal suspicions regarding racial inferiority in the homeland. The lesson brings out the
prejudice that almost every person suffers from denominational issues like colour, caste, sex
etc. The tone is casual, curious and ironic. The author uses everyday language to create the
casual tone. He is taking the reader on a journey of self-discovery. The reader is also curious
as to the game the children play, could it really be a game of inferiority? There is also a
strong sense of irony throughout the story.
Summary
In the prose ‘Jamaican fragment’ the author A L Hendricks says how prejudice misleads the
person’s opinion. This incident happened in author’s life. He depicted it very nicely. Every
day the narrator used to walk half-mile from his home to railway track in the morning and
evening. The walk was pleasant to him because of the red and green-roofed bungalows, green
lawns and garden on the either side and it was a good exercise. One morning the narrator
noticed two little boys playing in the garden. One was black and another was white. The
narrator observed the children. The black boy was 5 years and the white boy was a little
lesser may be 4 years old. The white boy was shouting and commanding the black boy.
Whatever the white boy ordered, the black boy did the same. The narrator was also a
Jamaican black man. He was puzzled within himself. Hundreds of questions came into his
mind. The children were very small, really they were infants. At the very small age how
could they discriminate? Who were they? Was black boy a servant’s son? Who was he? They
wore same type of dress. Were they neighbours or play mates? Whoever might be? Were
they, as a race really inferior that even in their infancy they realized their deficiencies and
accepted a position as the white man’s servant? The author went on asking these questions to
himself for a whole day. His faith in his people was shaken. He didn’t find the boys in the