Afterwards

What do we learn of the protagonist in the poem of ‘Beginning in a City?’

The first and possibly most important fact we learn about the protagonist is that he is   a poor but brave man, attempting to start a new life in a London that was still suffering the aftermath of the War. This poem was written just after the Second World War. The first example of his ambition is in the second verse, where he states, ‘I knew no room, I knew no Londoner.’ This tells us that he travelled blindly to London, resulting in his having to find accommodation and a job single-handedly, with no help from anyone. He also seems disappointed, to a certain extent, because he probably expected more glamour and luxury to be offered by London, as the ‘Centre of Empire‘. Instead,   he arrives to find, ‘Dim-lit streets’ and ‘War-tired people moved slowly’ - definitely not the buzz of the ‘City‘, that promised to be a special place. He had been driven to emigrate because of the restlessness   caused by youth, and further by the idea that the politics, life in general and financial prospects were better in London than in Jamaica.   This also tells us something of the character of   James Berry:   he is inquisitive and observant, even if he appears to be of average intelligence. He seems to be driven by ambition. One other factor that is quite surprising is that he is seen to be quite practical in his thinking. An example is that he left his luggage at the ‘Left luggage’ area. Another odd fact is that James is rather brave, but appears to be sensitive at the same time.   ‘A rage of combined smells attacked me.’

What are the main themes in the poem?

The main themes in ’Beginning in a City’ are: confusion, disappointment, displacement,   confidence and ambition. James starts off feeling rather confused in a recovering London, ‘I walked without map, without knowledge,’ but perseveres and somehow finds his way to the Labour Exchange - showing his tenacity. Discrimination and racism appear to be...