What is the significance of the book the hummingbird tree by Ian McDonald?

Answer 1

Ian Mcdonald's novel, The Hummingbird Tree, is a social commentary on post-colonial Trinidad seen through the eyes of a teenager. There are four obvious themes that bring out McDonald's critique of the Trinidadian society at this time: Love, Interracial friendships, Loyalty and Obligation. Post-Colonial Caribbean society inhibit the protagonist, Alan from being his own individual/himself by preventing him from freely sharing in love and friendship with Jaillin and Kaiser. The challenge Alan faces test his character and his innocence as a child but also a young man who the world changes instead of him asserting his own beliefs. The book explores sexuality and innocence at the adolescence level and the purity of love untainted by race. The novel is more than a romance piece for it shows how despite the conditioning of whites to feel superior to coloureds, affection can spring between the races as with Alan,Kaiser and Jaillin. Alan is torn between two worlds that are becoming increasingly antagonistic. The right of coloured people to govern themselves and to decide their destiny against the status quo of a white dominated society and Alan in a position where he has to choose between his friends and his predetermined associates. Alan takes his place into the world as any other child but he conforms to the world instead of challenging it. He avoids the inevitable confrontation between whites and coloureds in a post colonial world by taking the easiest route out. Where status plays such a critical role in a racially divided country, we sympathize with Alan for his weakness and feel proud of the fact that there might be a break through to the problem of racism if children of modern day grow up to be more like Alan. We also commend the author Ian McDonald for opening our eyes to the racial victimization of children in a brutal and cruel world. (Not only blacks but white young ones who end up suffering greatly)