Setting 

Rock Hudson, Marlon Brando, James Dean

THE SETTING IS Of A POST-WAR CONTEXT

-         The setting of this story is between the 1940’s and 1950’s. The narrator in his flashbacks takes us to the 1940’s during the period of the Second World War and in his flash forwards, we are brought back to the present an the war is over.

-         When the narrator takes us back to the 1940’s we see the state of the island during the war. It was indeed a time of great hardships and struggles as the narrator remembers in the story a pink dirty crushed ration card on the pantry shelf in order to get sugar, rice and coconut oil. During this time food was scarce, because the war hampered importing and exporting.

-         Also, because of this war Britain formed an alliance with America in which they set up a military base in Chaguaramas. Consequently, Trinidad and Tobago’s economy and society transformed profoundly, causing an ‘oil boom’ as Trinidad fuelled the Allied forces causing sugar to be replaced by oil.

-         Industrialization meant modernization of infrastructure such as the dirt road compared to paved roads (asphalt), building of factories: Texaco replacing British companies (331).

-         Culturally, there was a growing awareness of the pleasures of leisure and entertainment. There were numerous cinemas throughout the island that showed the latest Hollywood flicks to often full houses. Through this we see the United States presence causing a great penetration of the American culture and consumption habits, which unrealistically increased the economic expectations of many Trinidadians.

-         As a result, the ideology of the existentialism increased among the people. This represents the aimlessness of society during the post-war time period. This was because after the war ended many were left with nothing to do and so they passed their time by drinking, entertainment (going to the cinema) and prostituting.

-         Though the post-war period had its negative effects on the island, it had its positive effects as well, because during this time there was tremendous optimism and hope in gaining independence.