Oppression and Optimism in "David," "Railton Road," and "Stilt Fishermen" Xuan Vu 12th Grade

The immigrant narrative has been unpacked over multiple generations, yet they often remain stigmatised as "the other" - a threat. Maxine Beneba Clarke's "Foreign Soil" encapsulates a broad spectrum of these experiences, challenging the stigmatisation of migrants. Through these short stories, Clarke provides insight into the nuanced experiences of the oppressed to highlight the duality of the migrant experience as a journey of vulnerability and hope.

Through the diversity of her characters, Clarke unveils the complexity of the migrant experience from being a victim of oppression to a protector of heritage and freedom. "Railton Road" introduces readers to Solomon, a man who "dreamt he was ancient Africa" as he desperately secures a place for his heritage within prejudiced, Eurocentric England. Embodying a continent, Solomon submits himself to the responsibility of "cradling a people", nurturing them and ensuring the survival of his culture at the hands of oppression. Through this hyperbolic coping mechanism of personifying ancient Africa as Solomon, Clarke exposes the desperation of migrants to preserve their heritage despite the whitewashing being forced upon them. She celebrates Solomon as a godly figure whose "history had no...