Queering the Storytelling in David Chariandy’s Brother

Exploring the

questions of masculinity, loss, rootlessness, discrimination and family,

Chariandy’s Brother touches intensely

upon the tightly constructed fear and how it queers the narrative by making

references to the violent incidents of 1991 summer. David Chariandy brings us

into the lives of Michael and Francis with glittering words and hypnotic

accuracy. They are the kids of Trinidadian immigrants; their father has

vanished, and their mother works double and occasionally triple shifts in order

for her sons to achieve the distant promise of their chosen home. With terrible

emotional impact David Chariandy, a distinct and intriguing voice in Canadian

writing, presents a tragic and important narrative about the tremendous love

that exists between brothers and the senseless loss of lives cut short by a

gunshot. Chariandy covers some of the most emotive themes of our day with care

and intelligence, such as the casual humiliations of being a poor child of

immigrants, the impermeable power-posturing of police in the black community,

and killings dismissed as justifiable. <o:p></o:p>

This study raises the questions of racial discrimination,

homosexuality, trauma and fear culture experienced by silenced individuals

whose fates are determined by prejudiced white race superiority. Beyond the

beautifully written characters, what stands out most about Brother is

Chariandy's brutally honest description of prejudice, violence, and a lack of

opportunity encountered by the Park's residents. Chariandy is cautious to

demonstrate how the community itself contributes to the situation.