The Theme of Exile in the Novels of Austin Clarke

Abstract

<p>The theme of Exile is a prominent one in Caribbean literature and has its roots in the history of the area. Exile, whether forced (i.e. as a result of the slave trade) or self-imposed, causes problems of rootlessness and alienation, and this has given rise to the strong identity motif in West Indian writing. Austin Clarke, a native Barbadian, has been living in North America since 1955. His novels express the problems faced by blacks in Barbados and in Toronto, and focus on the individual's quest for self-identity. While Clarke offers no solution to the problems, his novels raise fundamental questions that are a part of, but not exclusice to, the West Indian/ North American experience.</p>