Austin Clarke, “A Stranger in a Strange Land”
Part 1: Summary
Living in a foreign country comes with many challenges. In the presented essay, Clarke (73) discusses that he surely does not have rights and real friends in a foreign country even after many years of living in that country. To Clarke, the best friends are in Barbados and others scattered throughout the West Indian Countries. These are mainly childhood friends and schoolmates. Others include people he went to same choirs with, served as cadet corps with, went to same churches, and scouted together during the years. With these people, Clarke clarifies that he confidently and openly shared intricate details of his life – the joys and pains and the insoluble and vital crises of young life.
In the new country, the author can only point out one person with whom some freedom and trust have grown. Herein, he refers not to a man to a woman’s confidence, but the assurance that comes up as a young boy grows into a man. This happened in Toronto. However, he also points out that the rootlessness and disconnection may explain many issues, including the criminal tendencies of many immigrants and, most importantly, the West Indian immigrants. Accordingly, it is believed that the lack of roots and connection for the immigrants is why they continuously find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Immigrants may behave differently as a result of their disconnection from the native Canadians.
According to Clarke (73), acquaintance and friendship may explain the primary differences in a new country; immigrants tend to over depend upon their materialistic accomplishments like having good houses, loud behaviors, and notable tastes. These are mainly detrimental because immigrants may never transfer their native country’s tastes and desires to a new country. It would be more comfortable to adapt to the new culture than to maintain a rigid stand. In a native land, one feels the soil and has a sense of belonging. However, in a new country, alienation and separation are real.
Clarke (74) takes the example of T.S Elliot, who was an outsider in England to clearly bring out the essence of separation in a foreign community. The use of the example was in disregard of the other personal mental crises in Elliot’s mind at the time of writing. It is known that Elliot never enjoyed the privilege of being an Englishman, although it is publically known that he was an English author. He often felt the disconnect between himself and the natives. Thus, while people have all the essentials for mental health in their native countries, migrating to new nations always denies them the connection to the land, and such may be difficult. Clarke (74), hence, complains stating, “…I must face an institution, for relief from stress, I must face an institution, for the solution of a problem of passion, I must face an institution, because there are no persons, no friends of childhood.” Thence, his main point is that fitting in a new country is an uphill task.
Part 2: Response
The essay primarily argues concerning the subject of suffering in foreign lands. According to Clarke’s presentation, a native country is one’s best environment. Such a country consists of the basic requirements for health and wellbeing. Even the soil and the atmosphere of a home country, according to the essay, are naturally favorable to a person that identifies with them. I agree with this assertion to a great extent. This agreement is purely based on the author’s basis on the fact that connection with the land is an important aspect of wellbeing. Naturally, when one is taken out of their native environment, struggles with fitting in arise. The package is larger than it may be perceived. For instance, in the initial environment, one has friends with whom important connections exist – people they have grown together and experienced life together. People that share intricate experiences. Disconnection from these may be difficult to replace. Inasmuch as one will build new networks, the place of childhood bonds still will stand out.
The essay is through-provoking, and that is commendable. The presentation of the subject of suffering in foreign lands attracts deep thinking on the place of the environment in the determination of individual mental health status. Precisely, while mental health is becoming a major concern globally, it is vital to think about how the environment affects people’s wellbeing. Perhaps, this may generate a vital discourse for the management of mental health. This connects well with the idea that friends are vital.
I believe that developing good networks is important. Personally, networks have been my primary approach to venting out issues of life and keeping up straight. By sharing out issues, it has become possible to stay mentally fit and happy. My experiences, hence, lead me to accept the postulations of the essay. However, it would also be vital to discuss the issue of natural resistance to immigrants in many countries. As we know today, immigrants are generally hated in many nations with the assumption that they take up benefits that should be for the citizens. Thus inasmuch as the author discusses the subject of networks mainly, it would be essential to also consider this perspective.
Works Cited
Clarke, Austin. “A Stranger in a Strange Land.” Reading Writing. 2nd ed., edited by Geri Dasgupta and Jon Redfern, ITP Nelson, 1998, pp.73-75.
