Minty Alley (Masterplots II: African American Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: C. L. R. James
- First Published: 1936
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: The late 1920’s and early 1930’s
- Setting: A barrack yard in Trinidad
- Principal Characters: Haynes, Mrs. Rouse, Benoit, Nurse Jackson, Maisie, Philomen
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Pan-Africanism, Caribbean, Blacks, Race, Middle classes, Yards or backyards, 1930’s, Poverty or poor people, Asia or Asians, Working class, Single people
- Locales: Trinidad
The Novel
Minty Alley is the story of Haynes, a young black educated middle-class man who observes and becomes involved in the daily life of the “ordinary people” of 2 Minty Alley, a barrack yard in Trinidad. Life in the yard is presented from the perspective of Haynes, who is himself transformed in the process of observing and participating in that life.
Beset by financial problems and wanting to escape his sheltered, “monotonous,” and “empty” life, Haynes decides, after the death of his overprotective mother, to take up lodging among the working...
[The entire page is 2632 words long]
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