A Flag on the Island

More about the book

In V.S. Naipaul's works, profound and integrated narratives combined with a candid and objective examination reveal hidden truths. Naipaul's second collection of short stories sharply critiques the absurdities of human nature and society. "A Flag on the Island" is his second collection published in 1967, following the success of his 1959 short story "Miguel Street." By this time, Naipaul had traveled extensively and finally set foot in his ancestral homeland of India, which he had never seen but could not escape. In post-colonial India, he observes various classes of people with the same bloodline yet unfamiliar to him, struggling for survival. He perceives them as stagnant, selfish, and ignorant, and this dismal homeland evokes strong feelings of disgust, contempt, and resistance, leading him to another creative peak in post-colonial writing. The book consists of 11 uniquely styled short stories, with "A Flag on the Island" being the longest. Originally conceived as a fantasy play for television, it follows a protagonist who develops life on an island with the arrival of American troops and departs with their withdrawal. After a storm, he must return to this island, where the chaotic past crashes back like waves.