Introduction
‘Brackley and the Bed’ is a short story written by Samuel Selvon, revolving around the life of Brackley in England. He is the protagonist, an immigrant from Tobago who came to England to improve his life. However, he is later joined by his distant cousin Teena and thus is forced to live with her. He has to sleep on the floor while she uses his bed. Nevertheless, sleeping on the floor becomes unbearable, and thus, he proposes that Teena share the bed.
This short story is written in prose because it employs ordinary language without formal grammatical structures and conventions. The author employs various literary techniques that evoke the feelings and thoughts of the readers. The story employs a first-person and third-person narrator, allowing them to portray the feelings and ideas of the protagonist. The author employs various literary techniques, including imagery, humor, manipulation, and language. The story employs diverse literary forms that help engage and impact readers.
Humor
The author has employed humor in the short story to capture and resonate with the diverse thoughts and feelings of the readers. Humor is exhibited on different occasions, including at the beginning of the story, when Brackley is introduced, as he searches for a place to rest his weary bones. This is humorous because he was out of work at the time, yet he was too tired to walk home; he had to rest.
Additionally, he is contemplating his aunt’s letters. He had received a letter informing him of Teena’s travel to England; as such, he wrote back discouraging the idea. However, his aunt wrote back, claiming that she meant Teena was already on her way (Selvon, 1957).
Moreover, humor is exhibited when Teena gets off the boat; instead of greeting her, Brackley begins to question why she had come, among other questions. Teena, in turn, responds by asking him, “What happened? You bought the country already?” (Selvon, 1957, p. 117). Teena asks him rhetorically so that he will stop asking more questions.
Another instance of humor, as shown by the author, is that once they reach home, Teena eagerly asks for the gas fire she had heard so much about. She goes on to look for food and begins to prepare the meals. Brackley tells Teena to ration the food because the food has to sustain them through the entire winter. He claims, “I am not working now, and money doesn’t grow on trees here as in Tobago.” (Selvon, 1957, p. 118). This demonstrates humor in that back home, rationing food is unnecessary since the meals are adequate, but in England, they must be careful.
The author portrayed Brackley’s humor when he proposed to Teena as a way to avoid sleeping on the cold floor. He asks, “Teena, and you want to get married?” (Selvon, 1957, p. 120). This is humorous because he had migrated to England to avoid marrying her. However, due to the cold winter, he concludes that it would be better to get married to avoid sleeping on the floor.
Manipulation
The author effectively shows this story’s manipulation as a literary technique through the different characters. Teena is a manipulative character who can bend Brackley to her will. Some of the instances in which she uses manipulation include. When she descends from the boat and Brackley asks her questions, she diverts his attention by claiming that she is going to the colonial office. He tells her she will not get any help from those offices and carries her bags. When they reach Barkley’s house, she rearranges it as he watches. This reveals Teena’s manipulative nature; Brackley has to sit and watch her change almost everything in his house.
Another way Teena displays manipulation is when she refuses to sleep on the floor. She exclaims, “Me on the floor? You no ashamed?” (Selvon, 1957, p. 119). In short, she adamantly refuses to sleep on the floor. Brackley also refuses to sleep on the floor, claiming it is cold due to the winter; however, in the end, he sleeps on the floor, while she sleeps on the bed.
Initially, Brackley is used to waking up between nine and ten o’clock; however, upon the arrival of Teena, he is forced to wake up as early as six o’clock. He is surprised at the suggestion of waking up at six o’clock; “You must be mad! Six o’clock like midnight in the winter, and people still sound asleep” (Selvon, 1957, p. 118). Despite his objection, Brackley is forced to wake up at six to search for employment. She takes control of Brackley’s life, demonstrating her manipulative nature.
Teena manipulates Brackley into marrying her; based on the letters from his aunt, it is understandable that they knew Brackley was moving to England to avoid marrying Teena. As such, his aunt only informs him that Teena will be visiting as a courtesy since she is already on her way. Upon arrival, she begins to dominate his life and rearrange everything to her preference; subsequently, she sleeps on the bed while Brackley sleeps on the cold floor. He perseveres through the cold, but when it becomes more than he can withstand, he decides to ask Teena whether she would like to get married to him. Manipulation is evidenced by her invitation to her aunt to live with them after they are married, which suggests she has planned everything.
Language
In the short story ‘Brackley and the Bed,’ the author employs a distinctive language style that portrays a sense of authenticity and establishes direct contact with the readers. Additionally, the story employs both third-person and first-person narratives, thereby influencing the readers’ thoughts. This has been achieved by ensuring readers feel part of the story. For instance, the narrator says, “The reason for that, and the reason why the lads begin to nickname him Rockabye, you will find out as the ballad goes on.” (Selvon, 1957, p. 116). This form of narration creates the sense that the reader and the narrator are on the same side, watching the story unfold, thus investing their feelings and thoughts.
Additionally, the author uses simple grammar without the necessary standard constructions. Brackley says, “You better go easy with them rations” (Selvon, 1957, p. 118). The author pays little regard to formal language because he intends for the readers to relate to the story through the commonly spoken language.
Furthermore, the author employs dialogue to convey the characters’ communication. The author has enabled the characters to interact through dialogue, portraying their character traits. Therefore, these traits enable readers to identify with and relate to characters, as they are familiar with them. For instance, when Teena says, “First thing tomorrow morning,” she demonstrates her regard for punctuality (Selvon, 1957, p. 118). Conversely, Brackley responds by saying that six o’clock is too early, especially during the winter, and he has no job to do. Teen and Brackley use dialogue.
Rationale for Selection
Different factors influenced the selection of this short story. The story portrays a realistic scenario in which an individual relocates to a foreign country in search of a better life. Additionally, the story comprises various more compelling, believable, and relatable arcs to real life.
Different parts have been included: the beginning, middle, and end, and a final resolution is achieved. These sections are clearly illustrated in ‘Brackley and the Bed’ through the story’s progression and the development of the respective characters. Furthermore, the author employs various literary skills and techniques, which are essential in drawing readers into the story by establishing a connection with many of them.
Conclusion
Samuel Selvon has developed and used various literary skills in the short story, ‘Brackley and the Bed.’ These techniques have been significant in developing characters and showing their character traits to the reader. Some common literary skills in this story include manipulation, language, dialogue, and humor.
The author employs manipulation as a skill to demonstrate Teena’s determination to achieve her goals and the extent to which she is willing to actualize her desires. Furthermore, humor demonstrates the relationship between the two main characters. Non-standard language has been used to help the readers identify with the story, thus pulling readers toward the book.
Reference
Selvon, S. (1957). Brackley and the Bed. London Calypso.