Christopher Raja’s “Into the Suburbs”
The memoir by Australian writer Christopher Raja called Into the Suburbs is about his family migrating from Calcutta to Melbourne when Raja was a child. It is an interesting immigrant’s story as he documents his parents struggle to adapt and fit into this new country, a country they had moved to fulfil their dreams. Instead they find that having left perfectly decent professions in India, they were working at odd hours, in factories and in shifts, as long as they earned some income and managed to pay their bills. Slowly and steadily they achieve what they set out to do — get a home, get jobs and educate their son. Large portions of the novel revolve around the boy trying to find a way of fitting in as well, first in the state run school and then the posh private institution where his father is part of the faculty. It is a curious book. As he says in this interview with Yarra Libraries, Christopher Raja was not sure whether to classify it as a novel or a memoir. But it is reading between the lines that makes this book fascinating. On the face of it, Raja is writing a memoir that documents what it means to be an Asian immigrant. He experiences racism and physical bullying that was unheard of in Calcutta. And then there are really the unsaid things in the novel such as the exploration of different kinds of masculinity. The children on the playground or in schools trying to assert themselves as they reach adolescence. Then the young adults and the elders having their own way of accommodating each other. Ultimately it is the complicated relationship that Christopher Raja has with his dad, David, that is very illuminating about how masculinities can really play out. David Raja wanted the best for his son, to provide for him in a manner that he felt he had missed out. Christopher Raja’s paternal grandmother died within days of giving birth to her son, David. It left his paternal grandfather devastated and fairly hostile to the newborn son. The onus was upon David’s elder siblings particularly his eldest sister to care for him. Ultimately David decides to emigrate to Australia but realises the challenges it poses. His son witnesses it all silently but at times clashes with his father. One fine day when his father leaves never to return, Christopher Raja is bewildered. His mother comes across as a strong woman who expresses his displeasure often enough but is also clear that she needs to support her husband. Although there are certain decisions such as wanting to return to Calcutta regularly that are never explained. Why does she travel alone? Why does she never take her family with her? Yet after her husband’s unexpected death she buckles down and manages to clear their debts including paying the mortgage. For want of a better word, the writing style is monotone. He narrates what he has experienced. It is impossible to tell which of the sections are fictionalised but it works. Perhaps it is a survival tactic similar to that of found in the testimonies of trauma victims. In order to distance themselves from the horrific moment of trauma such as a rape or a war crime or any form of physical violence, the victim’s testimony immediately becomes third person as if the body is incapable of processing this assault on the individual themselves. It is a distancing mechanism. Similarly with Into the Suburbs Christopher Raja opts to tell his story in a voice that is calm, cool, moderate, bordering on the dull which seems to be purely a safety mechanism. The trauma of experiencing racism and related violence, whether implicitly or explicitly, while navigating daily life in Australia as an immigrant activates latent suvival techniques that unbeknowest to the author come to the fore. It is apparent to a reader who is distanced from the experience but can empathise with the challenges documented. This monotone narration also ensures that the book never leaves you. For weeks after having read the book, it still haunts one.
Read it.
29 September 2020
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