Samuel Selvon’s literature lays emphasis on the development of a consciousness that moulds the entire issue of identity into a new shape. His literature comprises the story of West Indian immigrants in London and through his central characters, one can learn about Caribbeans’ realities in England. The arrival of commonwealth subjects in England after World War II was considered, by the protagonists as well as other characters in Selvon’s novel, as a possibility to form positive inter-racial relations to cope with the problems of decolonization, yet it signals the progressive failure of such possibility. His protagonists are subjected to cultural consciousness, existential struggle, crime, gender issues, love and hate, betrayal and death that lurk behind the city’s glimmer. Samuel Selvon outlines how their experiences and action influence the formation process of their identity and defines their behavior. This research paper endeavors to explore the cultural consciousness shared by Selvon’s protagonists as well as the issue of gender identity experienced by them, also aims to analyze the experience of exile commonly shared by Selvon’s main characters.

Keywords: Immigrants, Exile, Racial discrimination, Commonwealth, Exile, Homelessness, Homeland.