Growing Up Stupid Under the Union Jack

by Austin Clarke

Austin Clarke's classic story of British colonial education is the subject of Growing Up Stupid Under the Union Jack. It is the story of a boy whose mother struggled against seemingly impossible odds to give her son the best available education. Generations of Barbadians, and West Indians, will identify with young Austin Clarke, from the absentee father to the challenges of a daily life in a society based on colour and class prejudice and a rigid set of customs and rules imported from England and imposed on Caribbean society. Growing Up Stupid Under the Union Jack is more than a memoir; it provides a rare in-depth look into the nature of the colonial condition, told with humour, wit and an authentic Bajan voice.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Austin Ardinel Chesterfield Clarke was a Canadian novelist, essayist and short story writer who lives in Toronto, Ontario. He has been called "Canada's first multicultural writer".

Clarke had his early education in Barbados and taught at a rural school for three years. In 1955 he moved to Canada to attend the University of Toronto but after two years turned his hand to journalism and broadcasting. He was a reporter in the Ontario communities of Timmins and Kirkland Lake, before joining the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a freelance journalist. He subsequently taught at several American universities, including Yale, Duke and the University of Texas.

In 1973 he was designated cultural attaché at the Barbadian embassy in Washington, DC. He was later General Manager of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation in Barbados (1975-1977).

Returning to Canada, in 1977 he ran as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the Ontario election. He was writer in residence at Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec and at University of Western Ontario.From 1988 to 1993 he served on the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Colorful take of what it was like growing up in pre-independent Barbados. Clarke took us through he journey being admitted to a well-ranked high school and what it mean for his mom and stepdad to see him succeed. Although I thought this was well-written, I found it was missing a connective thread through the chapters that described why it was important to share this story with readers As someone who doesn't know Barbados well, and wasn't around when the Caribbean islands were colonies, I wanted to have more "stake" in the story where I could be an active learner and see the arc in the author writing about his life. Rather, I felt this missed the mark a bit which make it boring in some parts.

[Ju Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provides an excellent historical reference to life in Barbados in the 1940s for persons of a specific socio economic background. The poverty, corporal punishment, cruelty and the imposing structure of British rules are exposed. The book is funny, sad, and painful! The Bajan voice, food, mannerisms painted a vivid picture of struggle and survival within the colonial context.

[Rennie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Charming and moderately interesting autobiography depicting the author's experience growing up in the Barbados "Under the Union Jack". I think I would have liked it more if there had been a broader perspective.

[Greg Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful elucidation of colonialism from the lived experience of a subject; every Brit who believes they are masters of the world should read this; beautifully written; funny but sad in equal proportion

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kind of book you read for the style, not the story

[Wren Rusic · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars - This memoir is a short and superficial overview of Austin Clarke’s childhood with only a few interesting or revelatory moments. While this book may ring true for both Barbadians and otherwise, Clarke doesn’t delve deep enough into his accounts to warrant a significance to the chosen timeline and events. His voice was one of the few aspects I enjoyed, but further attention to his other relationships would have helped flesh out his character more on the page.

[Pat35 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.. left me with a real flavor of what growing up in Barbados at that time was like.. especially the positive light in which Great Britain was held by aspiring school boys at that time. (I also really liked Michael Anthony's "The Year in San Fernando" for similar reasons .. a wonderful portrayal of how things were in Trinidad in the same time period)