Limon Blues by Anacristina Rossi
Summary
Chapter I:
The historical background places the reader in the twentieth-century Limón where the
construction of the Caribbean railway and the production of banana are the grounds for the
massive arrival of immigrants; hence, the diversity of cultures presented in the area. By 1904,
August, a fourteen year old Jamaican, comes to Cahuita to work the land of his parents, Nana
and Prince, and send them money. Not only he is tormented with the constant longing for his
mother and his difficult childhood memories in Kingston, but also he struggles to accomplish
his aim and confront the difficulties it entails. Furthermore, August faces a different scenario
from the one portrayed by his mother. He is forced to work at a Banana plantation because
his property is taken away by the Costa Rican government; he keeps his optimism to find a
new land in despite of his agony and desperation.
Chapter III:
Orlandus arrives to Port Limon and he starts mentioning his first jobs, which he did
not like. He wonders why “pañas” do not enjoy their life in Limon. Orlandus notices that
Limon has a multicultural environment, but as he meets other black people he realizes that
black people are discriminated against and ignored by whites. Orlandus becomes aware of the
main political aspects related to the United Fruit Company, Minor C. Keith and their
relationship with the Costa Rican government. Minor C. Keith, moreover, is referred as “The
uncrowned king of Costa Rica.” Keith seems to be a successful businessman who wants to
have his business in the country without paying taxes.
Orlandus fall in love with Leonor, the Minister’s wife. This relationship teaches
Orlandus, in a tough way, the roles of black people, women and those influential men in
Costa Rican society. Costa Rican authorities do not even consider Afro-Costa Rican members
of the nation; they were treated as African barbarians and marginalized. Orlandus was
hopeful about the “Brithis vice-consul” Woods, who unfortunately had died. However,
Orlandus was shocked when Leonor, his lover, told him that the new vice-consul, McGrigor,
worked for the United Fruit Company. After several romantic encounters between Leonor
and Orlandus, the minister faces his wife and tells her that he knows that she has a new lover
and that he does not agree with her liberal behaviour which he believed was acceptable in
men only. At the end of chapter 3, Leonor’s husband threatens her and tells her that if he ever
knows about them meeting again, he will kill both of them. Orlandus was hiding and listening
to everything they said. So, he decided to never see Leonor again in order to protect her life.
Chapter V:
Orlandus was not a member of any “labour club” until Gutzmore, his friend, invited
him to a meeting with the “Artisans and Lavourers Union of Costa Rica,” Ferguson and
Sterling were also on the club fighting against foremen who mistreated black workers.
The first day of August, the Emancipation Day came; thus, the Jamaicans got together
in Limón Town to celebrate the day instead of working; after that, most of the Jamaicans
were fired and some others were forced to quit the Union in order to let them keep their jobs.
As a result, the representatives of the Union decided to write a letter to the president Ricardo
Jimenez in which they expressed their discontent with their working conditions.
Orlandus received a letter from Leonor telling him that they cannot see each other
again because her husband could kill them; even though, she still loved him. He replied
telling her that they had to move on and to forget about each other. She replied again telling
him that the Union’s letter to the president couldn’t do anything for the Jamaicans. Therefore,
Orlandus and his friends were feeling miserable.
The United Fruit Company brought more workers from St. Kitts Island to substitute
the Jamaicans but these workers were even more physically abused and their working
conditions were worse than the Jamaicans’.
The consul accepted the petition of a meeting, but he betrayed the Union and the
guard arrest Gutzmore and Nathan. Indeed, they were accused of witchcraft and subversion,
and they were deported. Members of the Union were forced to abandon the organization and
to start working immediately. Several St. Kitts died without any hope to come back to their
country.
Orlandus met Marcus Garvey, a follower of the British government, when he was
looking for the British council in Limón. Garvey stated that black people will be respected if
they had a big float of black people with uniform. Garvey started to work for “The Nation”,
an English version of “La Nación”. He used the newspaper to tell everyone that black people
were not Africans, and that they should fight for their rights; consequently, he was arrested.
Later on, he was liberated for the help of Phillip; and finally he decided to travel around the
world. In a letter, Nanah informed Orlandus that his father was sick again. After that
Orlandus received the farewell from Leonor but at the very same time he was also ready to
say good bye to her.