In the Castle of My Skin

In the Castle of My Skin is a semiautobiographical novel by Caribbean author George Lamming, first published in 1970. The novel follows in the footsteps of other Caribbean narratives, a style of literature that initially grew out of the disconnect between an old world (Africa) and a new world (the Americas). Many Caribbean authors attempted to explain, disrupt, query, fuse, or simply explore dual consciousnesses brought about by traditions coming into contact with new ways of viewing the world and the self. Lamming’s narrative is considered mostly autobiographical because Lamming himself made the passage from Barbados to America, like some of his novel’s characters. Moreover, the struggles and lessons of his childhood parallel those of G.’s, one of the novel’s characters. The story is told from both G.’s first-person perspective and that of an omniscient third-person narrator. In the Castle of My Skin riffs off of Lamming’s childhood by sometimes fictionalizing his memories and recollections. Themes of collective consciousness versus individual will, language, racism, colonialism, education, and tragedy are explored, with historical events like World War II, the Middle Passage, and cataclysmic floods in Barbados grounding the text.

In the Castle of My Skin begins during a flood on G.’s ninth birthday. Though G. is crestfallen, the villagers consider the rain an auspicious event and a blessing from God. G.’s sullen stance underscores not only his anger at another lackluster birthday but also an early narrative theme: the villagers’ dreams and wishes are often vulnerable to larger forces at work. The beginning chapters also set up another major theme, which is the supremacy of collective consciousness over individual will.

From the very beginning, G.’s village, known as Creighton’s Village, is described in collective terms. When G.’s mother sings, for instance, the entire neighborhood joins in. Village scenes depict people mulling about in groups, and everyone knows what their neighbors are doing. Despite this collectivism, G. and his friends engage in many activities that force them to grow up individually and collectively. For example, they spend an entire day at the beach and talk about marriage, death, and mental illness, and later talk about America and religion on another outing. Though the boys don’t have the proper language to express themselves fully, these instances highlight how the boys are maturing and educating themselves, especially in the face of a colonial education that leaves much to be desired.

It is significant that In the Castle of My Skin doesn’t utilize a traditional plot structure. This fact has rendered the novel confusing, or hard to assess, for many critics. Lamming himself acknowledges that his novel doesn’t fit the traditional British or American style of writing. There isn’t a main character, per se, which means there isn’t an individual consciousness to tap into. Moreover, there isn’t a definable plot to follow to a concrete end. Lamming’s narrative is the Caribbean narrative, which itself is a product of fractured consciousness. This style of writing attempts to shed light on the lives of the poor, including those often omitted by canonic literature. Additionally, this style of writing underscores that the poor it often portrays are the black poor, who are a group of people with a rich, diverse background, but a background that has been systematically whitewashed by the dominating culture. As such, In the Castle of My Skin upholds this tradition by eschewing easy, formulaic writing and critiquing.

Despite the collective consciousness at the center of the narrative, characters like G. and Trumper shine through in their attempts at exploring identity. Interestingly, these attempts lead them to an identity that is once again part of a collective consciousness: the Negro race. When Trumper returns from America at the end of the novel, he now realizes that he’s a part of a greater cause: the Negro race. He then implores G. to educate himself on the political ramifications of this. Their home of Creighton’s Village has been decimated by war and greed, and Trumper sees the wolves who parade in sheep’s clothing only because of his knowledge of discrimination and racism, and how the world works. The narrative’s suggestion, then, is that people who know who they are in the grand scheme of things, and who have a group to help them fight injustice, might have a say in who they become and in how they’re treated by others. Though trite, In the Castle of My Skin hits home the proverbial saying that “knowledge is power.”