Alienation and Quest for Identity in V. S. Naipaul's A House for Mr. Biswas, the Mimic Men and Miguel Street

Abstract

The Colonization by Great European powers of the Caribbean accounted for
the islands becoming pawns in the hands of warring nations. Hence, the
Caribbean as a place is regarded as the “Great Wrong” of imperial
atrocities perpetrated against formerly colonized nations. This act foistered
and festered on the peoples sensibilities, inevitably leaving them with a
fractured psyche. The consequence is palpable as they continuously seek for
true identity on the islands. V. S. Naipauls’ novels embody this quest that
reveals the alienation that confronts them in every facet of existence which is
a further demonstration of their chequered history. This paper examines the
residual effects of colonialism within the Caribbean and the struggle to
address this dislocation in order to assure a recognizable identity for the
people that guarantee a self-empowered Caribbean future.