Land of No Delight By Harold Marshall

1. The un-named character feels inferior 1. The un-named character feels inferior because he lives in a society in which he feels displaced. His inferiority complex is due to being a minority and not having any one to relate to. b) His feelings of displacement and inferiority are a result of his conflicts with society. Though he experiences conflicts in the home, this can also be attributed to his father’s conflicts with society and unfulfilled dreams.

2. His father left their Caribbean island home to immigrate to Canada for a better life and increased opportunities. “He remembered his father saying, it is for the future. We have to give the children a chance. There’s nothing here for them.” His father’s views may have changed because he experienced discrimination in the workplace/society.

“These people over here are not people like us “These people over here are not people like us. They really don’t want people like you and me polluting up their country. In this place you have to try double hard.” (99)

3 The young man does not know what to do because he doesn’t have a strong sense of self. In addition, he feels as if there is no one that he can speak to and he experiences difficulty making decisions. He believes that he is inferior so he probably believes that he won’t succeed.

4. Conflict Person Vs. Society- The protagonist feels “Black in a White night” “he panicked and started to run. “Stop,” he heard the policeman shout.” “As he became aware of his displacement and difference it seemed as if his colour had agitated and distilled itself into a constant threat which seeped into his senses, making a mockery of what he believed himself to be”

Conflict Person Vs. Person (The boy Vs. His Father) “What is it you want to do boy?” “That is the blasted trouble with you. You don’t know what you want” “He really didn’t want to talk to his father because the experience was one sided and belaboured and always left him fatigued.”

Tone The tone of this story is very disheartening, ambiguous, sad and depressing. This tone is created by the dark images and the feelings of the characters.

Theme Possible themes of ‘Land of No Delight’ are: Racism and discrimination can negatively impede the progression of individuals. Displacement in society can lead to feelings of inferiority and inadequacy Immigrating to a new country doesn’t always result in an improved quality of life

Conflict Person Vs. Self “Once he had become aware of who he was, his life was not simple or separate. He found it difficult to make decisions. He did not know what he wanted to do with his life and he found it difficult to make decisions.”(98) “He could not speak of an invisible landfall in the darkness which his life had become. He had no direction. His life was lost, like blood.” (99)