The Suffrage of Elvira by V. S. Naipaul
"The Suffrage of Elvira" is a novel by V. S. Naipaul that presents a satirical take on the complexities of democracy in a fictional Caribbean island. The narrative revolves around Mr. Surujpat Harbans, who is anxious about securing support for his election to the legislative council. This comedy of manners captures both the absurdity and the challenges he faces, including unexpected encounters with two American Jehovah's Witnesses and a wandering dog, which symbolize the unpredictability of democratic processes.
As Harbans navigates the political landscape, the novel critiques the ways in which democracy can be manipulated for personal profit rather than serving the public good. The interactions among various characters, including local leaders and voters, highlight the underlying motivations that often drive electoral behavior, such as profit-seeking and the influence of rumors and scandals. Through humor and colorful dialogue, Naipaul invites readers to reflect on the flaws of democracy, suggesting that even in idealistic systems, human irrationality and self-interest can overshadow principled governance. Ultimately, "The Suffrage of Elvira" serves as a thought-provoking exploration of democracy's realities, both in post-colonial contexts and beyond.
The Suffrage of Elvira by V. S. Naipaul
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1958
Type of work: Novel
The Work
The Suffrage of Elvira, Naipaul’s second published novel, has been described as a comedy of manners. Certainly, as the first chapter demonstrates, it is comic in tone. On one hand, Naipaul is dramatizing the desperate anxiety of Mr. Surujpat Harbans, as he drives his old truck up Elvira Hill on the way to arrange support for his election to the legislative council. On the other hand, the omens that so terrify Harbans seem hardly to justify his fears. Two American women stop their bicycles so unexpectedly that Harbans cannot help sliding into them, and he later hits and slightly injures a black dog, which is wandering about in the middle of the road with about as much sense as the women.
The fact that both the women and the dog do indeed prove to be recurring obstacles in Harbans’s attempt to win the election not only unifies the plot but also points out the failure of democracy, that is, universal suffrage for adults, just four years after it was so nobly declared. Indeed, at the beginning of the second chapter, Naipaul defines what democracy has meant to the islanders: put simply, new possibilities for profit.
As a candidate, Harbans must try to win the election without spending so much money that the post will be unprofitable. As his backers, the Muslim leader, a tailor, and the Hindu leader, a goldsmith, try to spend as little of their own money as possible, while using the election to consolidate their power and, if possible, to get some immediate cash benefits. By rights, Harbans thinks, it should be a simple matter of paying these leaders a reasonable sum to deliver the votes. That is the way democracy should work.
Unfortunately, Harbans’s opponent very nearly outwits him by benefiting from human irrationality. For example, the women on bicycles, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, persuade the Spanish voters, who were committed to Harbans, that God does not wish them to vote, since the end of the world is imminent. The dog, too, causes trouble. One of her puppies, which keeps appearing and disappearing, is seen variously as a curse and a blessing; to offset the harm that this puppy has done to the campaign, the dead puppies in the litter must be publicly displayed so as to discredit the Jehovah’s Witnesses and send the Spanish voters on their way to the polling place.
Although The Suffrage of Elvira does not deal with courtly aristocrats as traditional comedy of manners does, it resembles that form in being both dramatic and satirical. Many of the passages consist of colorful dialogue, which has the quality of a scene from a play. Furthermore, the targets of satire are not only individuals but also universal types, such as the Muslim leader’s haphazard son, whose schemes and slogans alike very nearly cost Harbans his victory.
Like audiences at comedies of manners, Naipaul’s readers begin by laughing at foolish, ignorant people in a fictitious place; however, they should end by realizing that these characters actually exaggerate their own flaws. If no democracy has managed to exclude citizens who see that form of government merely as a means of enriching themselves, it is equally true that even the most principled electorate finds itself influenced by slogans, rumors, sexual scandals, calculated character assassination, appeals to religious convictions, and even free drinks and parades. There is typical Naipaulian irony in the comment made about Elvira voters and intended to be the highest praise: Once they are bought, they stay bought. One wonders if that is the most that can be expected of a democracy, whether in the Third World or in the former colonial powers.
Bibliography
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