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Suffrage of Elvira

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V.S. Naipaul presents to us an unassumingly twisted view of a rural Trinidad on the verge of self-government and postcolonialism. He spins a carnival of motley characters (Hindus, Muslims, Blacks, Creoles, East Indians) who bite, backbite, and betray each other as their town's first elections approaches. While Naipaul once again seems to lampoon a fatuous, confused Caribbean culture, he makes serious speculations on the Caribbean's ability to govern itself orderly,effectively and justly in the wake of colonial control. His vision is stark and bleak as these characters grotesquely play out their parts, be it (pseudo)politician, campaign manager, voter, prophet, pundit, bulge-bellied child. Coming from Belize, I can say the impressions are in many ways familiar, but may also veer into the histrionics of a dispeptic author who has suffered too long under a stagnating colonial society that has never respected his art and his worldliness, or understood his need to rise above the mire of colonialism.

This is the first Naipaul book I've read (following Paul Theroux's "Sir Vidia's Shadow", which I highly recommend), and it has spurred me into reading more from Naipaul. Not to bring anyone into disregard, but I believe it was high time for the Nobel Committee to return to richly satisfying writers of a monumental girth (such as Naipaul, Saramago or Garcia Marquez, to name just some of the more recent ones) when choosing its literature prize winners.

To the Suffrage of Elvira, then. The story is a simple one, very charmingly told. "Pat" Harbans is a man on the verge of old age who, mainly to be in a position to benefit from public works contracts (roadworks)decides to stand as a candidate for MP for the region of Elvira, Caroni District. It is 1950, the second election after Trinidad's independence from Britain, and in Elvira there are 8,000 voters, of which the majority are of Hindu origin, with a few Muslim, Black and "Spanish" ones thrown in. Mr. Harbans is traveling to the town of Elvira to visit Baksh (a rambunctious tailor who is seen as the leader of the Muslim group) and Chittanrajan (a rich goldsmith, who leads the Hindu faction). His hope is to get Baksh's and Chittanrajan's support, thus ensuring his final victory in the elections. During the trip everything seems to go wrong. Harbans runs over a dog and almost hits two American Jehova's Witnesses on bikes. He sees these events as an ill omen, and he is not mistaken. In Elvira he is forced to pay through the nose, as all his future constituents take him for a ride that doesn't end until the end of the book. He is forced to appoint Baksh's son, Foam, as campaign manager and to agree to his son's marriage to Chittanrajan's daughter. He is forced to open an account at Ramlogan's run shop for his supporters, and is eventually forced to pay for the privilege of visiting ill Hindu voters, for the burial of a political opponent, and for a motorcade on election day. Everyone, and not the least Harbans (who is not at all suited for the rigours of a campaign, who hates to talk in public and easily falls into depression) is flawed. Harbans's main opponent is a black candidate, nicknamed Preacher (who comes across mainly as a religious fanatic), and the chief of Preacher's campaign is a confidence man named Lorkhoor. I won't tell much more, not to spoil the pleasure of future readers, but suffice to say that even the more appealing characters (Foam and Chittanrajan) are not without their blemishes. This is small town, third world life, warts and all. And the election is absolutely true to life, and not only for Trinidad, but also for many other similar regions. I am not Trinidadian but Colombian, and I could recognize all the characters portrayed.

Naipaul is Swiftian, but not as acerbic as would be the case in his future works. The election (and, indeed, democracy) is a mockery, and, while everyone tries to take advantage of everyone else, the strong prevail whereas the weak fall by the side, not without having inflicted some damage as a price for their destitution. No one is too weak to spit and bite and even the big beasts sometimes have to retreat (although they win in the end).

The book is funny and probably was very difficult to write in spite of its short length. I regretted not knowing what happened with the Jehova's Witnesses in the end, and I think Naipaul could have given Preacher a bit more of air time. But otherwise, I have no complaints. Read this book. "Do your part, vote the heart".

This is a short book, and the subject matter is fairly commonplace - the book is about an election. However, Naipaul is such a master of constructing personalities, that the subject becomes completely fascinating and the lives of the characters that populate the story are as involving as the plot. All his characters - Harbans, Chitaranjan, Baksh, and the town of Elvira - are developed with amazing natural grace and, as always, Naipaul's conversational style is engaging from start to finish. The story itself is consistent with themes he previously explores: provincialism, tragedy, self-consciousness, and how the individual finds his place in the world. I still recommend "Miguel Street" as the perfect introduction to the author, but TSOE is right up there on the list of his must-reads - not only because it is a heartbreaking story but also because it is a full display of Naipaul's technique.

The Suffrage of Elvira, is a novel based on an election that occurs in rural Trinidad. Being Trinidadian gives me a unique vantage point, there is a more gratifying appreciation for the truth of this novel. Despite the shortness of the work, their is an intricate plot that is surprising, humorous, and tragic in turns. The story generates interest and exicitment for the reader, and may compel him to consume this marvellous craft in one sitting.