The world is what it is

University College in oxford is an old college established for studying theology two centuries before Trinidad was named. It has famous alumni such as, P.B.Shelley, Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson and C.S.Lewis. There was a relief structure of William Jones in the chapel.It was a conservative men’s college with gender segregation The university life was staunchly male except meeting women in lectures or through other activities. The author’s room was on a staircase above the junior common room.

Douglas Millin, sergeant major was the head of the university college of oxford. His duty was to monitor the behaviour of students. He combined abrasive manner with devotion to university and used a very rough speech. His job was anything and everything and he felt nobody could replace Naipaul.

The dean, Giles Alington took a simpler and gentle role, he was more interested in the academic life than well-being of college. He was known for using double negatives. There were thirty college servants like butlers, gardeners, even a water-man  Peter Bayley who specialized in sixteenth-seventeenth century English literature was going to marry dean’s daughter soon. He though that Vidia was bright, responsive and had infectious asthmatic laughter and quickly got involved in things. He was member of the college’s literary society. Vidia suffered from asthma and felt cold because the college rooms weren't very well heated in those days.

Vidia missed 1950 freshman’s’ college photograph with 80 young men standing in neat rows. There were three non-white freshman who were the part of tradition of students coming to study in mother country

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Intellectual environment of the university college, oxford. Giles Alington, dean of the college was a light handed disciplinarian with multi eccentricities.  Peter Baley, specialized in the sixteenth- seventeenth century English literature served in the Far East and India during the war. Vidia had and asthmatic laugh, he was bright, responsive, quickly got involved and became member of college literary society. Climate of oxford was not suitable for Vidia as he was suffering from asthma.