Florian Sure A-Levels 2012 English Summary Hier ist die nächste Abiturzusammenfassung. Diese mal für die Sprache in der vermutlich die meisten aus unserer der Stufe ihr Abitur schreiben werden: Englisch. Auch hier habe ich noch einmal den ganzen Stoff zu den short stories zusammengeschrieben. Viel Erfolg beim Lernen! FAG – ABI – 2012 - Schulhomepage fsure.bplaced.net/fagabi12/ [email protected]
38
Embed
12 - fsure.bplaced.netfsure.bplaced.net/fagabi12/dwnl/files/eng/4E-Abi-Zusammenfassung.pdf · re A-12 ry Hier ist die nächste Abiturzusammenfassung. Diese mal für die Sprache in
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
F
lori
an S
ure
A-L
eve
ls 2
01
2
En
gli
sh S
um
ma
ry
Hier ist die nächste Abiturzusammenfassung. Diese mal für die Sprache in der vermutlich die meisten aus unserer der Stufe ihr Abitur schreiben werden: Englisch. Auch hier habe ich noch einmal den ganzen Stoff zu den short stories zusammengeschrieben. Viel Erfolg beim Lernen!
FAG – ABI – 2012 - Schulhomepage fsure.bplaced.net/fagabi12/
I. One Language Many Voices 1. Colonial Encounters ....................................................................................................................5
1.1. An Outpost of Progress ........................................................................................................5
Stanley Traditional, old preacher strict education sinner himself bad opinion about
women, hides emotions
Susana Aware of own guilt Self-confident, brave Frightened of Stanley Used to be beautiful
Stanley and Susana resemble John’s inner conflict!
Young
Wants to go to university
Well-educated, smart
ambitious
Afraid of Stanley
Very polite, respectful
Caught between religion, tradition and western opinions like education and going to university
Broke a taboo
Later: out of mind, crazy
Very pretty, knows how to use her assets
Pregnant
Quite uneducated (in comparison to John)
Self-confident
Pays less attention to money but pays attention on her dignity (=Würde)
Not sure if she loves John or is forced to love him due to tradition
2.3.4. The Author: Ngugi wa Thiong’o
Ngugi wa Thiong’o was born in Kamiriithu, Kenya in 1938. Kenya was under British rule back then. He
was at first part of the largest ethnic group in Kenya but later he became a devout Christian due to
his education in Kenya’s missionary schools. He even had a Christian name back then: James Ngugi.
But after studying at several universities in Africa and the United Kingdom James Ngugi rejected his
Christian believes and even changed his name into Ngugi wa Thiong’o because he saw his original
name as a sign of colonization. He actually was against colonization and once was even set into
prison because he openly criticized the British behavior in Kenya. Furthermore he went into
American exile on voluntary basis where he worked as a professor on several universities.
So the author as well had contact with Christianity and the traditional religion and had to decide
between them. Just like the protagonist John.
2.3.5. Historical Background
2.3.5.1. Kenya’s history – Mau-Mau-war
Kenya was a British colony and the native population got suppressed by the colonizers. And because
of this in the 1950ies a freedom movement rose to fight against the British army to not be instructed
anymore by the colonizers. In this very brutal and bloody fight the resistance was beaten down in
1956 first, but achieved independence for Kenya in 1963. This war between civilians and colonizers is
better known as the Mau-Mau-war.
2.3.5.2. Kenya’s ethnic – Kikuyu
The Kikuyu is the largest ethnic group in Kenya with over
8.000.000 members. They are mainly engaged in agriculture and
are strongly against missionaries and western education. They
are as well represented in economy and politics. In Kikuyu
believe the individual is the least important person, who has to
obey the parents for example.
God
spirits
elders
parents
individual
Page 25
2.3.5.3. Circumcision
Circumcision is quite normal in Kenya and other African countries. They circumcise women, by using
old scissors in a very brutal and inhuman way to achieve a better feeling for the man even though
they hurt the women. Circumcision is as well possible for male persons but it isn’t that usual.
2.3.5.4. Missionary schools
In the opinion of the older native people in Kenya the missionary schools endanger the native culture
and shrank the traditional values because they are heavily influenced by British colonists and
Christian values. So they fear the alienation of the youth (=Entfremdung der Jugend).
2.3.6. Main themes
2.3.6.1. Tradition vs. western values
This short story shows the conflict between tradition and western values very open. John has to
decide whether he wants to stick to the traditional values or if he takes the western values. The
traditional values are represented by Stanley who empowers John a very strict Christian education
and by Wamuhu who is pregnant from John and wants him to marry her.
But John can’t resist the attraction of the western values. He wants to go to university on any way
and isn’t even shrinking back from destroying another ones live. I don’t want to say that John killed
Wamuhu on purpose, but he didn’t want to marry her and that would mean a destruction of her live
as well.
In the end neither the western values nor tradition are represented as being something really good.
Both together lead John in a dilemma out of which he can’t break out and lead him in the end to a
murder. Maybe Ngugi wa Thiong’o wants to tell the reader that he has to find his place anywhere
between both sides.
2.3.7. Links to other short stories
Clash of Cultures
An Otpost of Progress
The Force of Circumst.
Dead Men's Path
A Horse and Two Goats
A Pair of Jeans
My Son the Fanatic
Father-son conflict
My Son the Fanatic
Hybridity
Dead Men's Path
A Pair of Jeans
Religion
My Son the Fanatic
Generation conflict
A Pair of Jeans
My Son the Fanatic
Clash of cultures
Page 26
3. Post-Colonial Consequences
3.1. The Black Madonna
Muriel Spark
3.1.1. Content
The story “The Black Madonna” tells from Lou and Raymond parker and a
mystique statue called the Black Madonna.
When the short story starts the environment where the parkers live is
described very detailed. Even road and house number are mentioned as well
as that they live in the 5th floor.
The actual plot sets in, when Lou Parker invites two black Jamaicans, who
work with Raymond, to her house. Oxford St. John and Henry Price often
step by in the next time and Lou shows the two Jamaicans to all the friends
of her and Raymond, pretending what a good example of integration and
tolerance they are.
However Lou gets annoyed by the presence of Oxford who is too often at
their flat to her taste. So she prays to the new statue in the town church
that Oxford St. John leaves and she is successful. Soon after her prayer
Oxford gets a job offer in another town and leaves.
Convinced from the success of the first time Lou goes a second time to the
Black Madonna. This time she prays for getting pregnant because she wants
a baby.
And again the Black Madonna is successful. Lou gets pregnant and gets a
baby. But Lou and Raymond are very shocked when realizing that their baby
has a black skin color.
After a longer discussion between both of them they decide to give the baby
up and to move to London. They pretend to do this because too much of
their neighbors would suggest that Lou had slept with one of the Jamaicans
(what isn’t true: the baby is black because of distanced relatives of the
Parkers) but in fact they do so because they can’t accept this racial
difference.
3.1.2. Setting
The story is set in a town called Whitney Clay. A city which is partly
catholic and whose population increased in the last few years. Especially
black people out of the different colonies went to Whitney Clay to get an
impression of the colonizers. The setting is furthermore quiet concrete;
we exactly know where they live. It’s even said that our protagonists live
in the 5th floor in flat 22 in Manders Road. In the city it is usual to have
children and the Catholics represent a minority in the town.
introduction (the Parkers flat,...)
Lou invites Oxford and Henry
Lou shows the Jamaicans to all their friends
Lou gets annoyed by Oxford, prays to the Black Madonna
Oxford leaves
Lou prays to the Black Madonna that she wants to get pregnant
she gets pregnant
black baby
Lou and Raymond give it up, move to London
Page 27
3.1.3. The Characters
Lou Parker Raymond Parker
Devout catholic
Well-organized
Good educated (reads books, newspaper…)
Wants to have children
Wants to be in middle-class
Selfish
Cannot accept a black child, even though she’s a bit black herself
Abuses catholic faith to her own benefit
She uses the black persons as a trophy for her played acceptance
Very religious, catholic
Connections to town councils
Inferior to Lou – adopts her opinion (only once he tried to contradict her but gets quickly overruled)
Racist tendencies
Pretty similar to Lou
3.1.4. The Author: Muriel Spark
Muriel Spark was born in 1918 in Edinburgh and had a Jewish father and a Protestant mother. She
started writing early and was very successful with poetry in the schools magazine.
Later she married Sydney Spark, a teacher from Southern Rhodesia, and moved there and lived there
for quite a long time even though the marriage caused a horrible life for the author. Because of this
experiences in Zimbabwe Muriel Spark wrote several poems and short stories in which she deals with
them.
With 40 years she converted to Catholicism (so neither Protestant nor Jewish as her parents) but she
always criticized the narrow views of lot of devout Catholics.
In her life she lived as well in Rome and New York and she was the publisher of several successful
poetry magazines.
3.1.5. Historical Background
3.1.5.1. The Black Madonna
The Black Madonna comes from religious believers and describes
pictures and statues of the holy Maria where she always has a black
face (or is completely black colored).
Because those statues used to be quite seldom there was a huge
admiration of those Madonna pictures and the religious community
awarded them with special abilities.
The most importance gains the Black Madonna for sure in the Marian
devotion (=Marienverehrung) and in Christianity.
3.1.5.2. Racism in England
Even in the 1980s and the 1980s there was an “anti-black-attitude” in England. For sure not any more
that hard that it wasn’t allowed for other-colored people to drive in the same bus (like in the United
States) but that far that some separate extremist groups even burn down a Mosque in Greenwich
and that the newspaper don’t write a report about this because racism is “nothing new”.
Page 28
Other events were the murder of the child of a Muslim woman, Molotov cocktails in Islamic flats and
the killing of a foreign Taxi driver (comparable to the subway murders in Germany!) – so racism was
still a topic back then in England.
Alone in 1986 there were 70000 cases of racist motivated violence in England and that’s a very big
number.
3.1.6. Main themes
3.1.6.1. Racism
In the beginning Lou and Raymond always pretend to be devout and good Catholics and they seem to
accept the two Jamaicans. But actually the two use the foreign workers to show their friends and
relatives how friendly and progressive they’re concerning narrow racist views. You realize this when
Lou gets annoyed by one of them and wants to get rid of him because he has served his purpose (=er
hat seinen Zweck erfüllt).
So the acceptance is only played and pretended and not real! This is directly shown in the end when
the two get the baby and are completely shocked and discuss for quite a while.
You see that Muriel Spark criticizes the behavior of Lou and Raymond towards Oxford St. John and
Henry Price in the short story and shows this with the higher power of the Black Madonna who is
shocking the couple with a black baby and with the aversion you feel against Lou (and maybe as well
Raymond) when you read the short story.
3.1.7. Links to other short stories
Husband and Wife
The Force of Circumst.
The Second Hut
A Pair of Jeans
Immigration
Good Advice is Rarer than
Rubies
Page 29
3.2. Good Advice is Rarer than Rubies
Salman Rushdie
3.2.1. Content
The short story “Good Advice is Rarer than Rubies” by Salman Rushdie
starts in front of the British Consulate in Pakistan, when Miss Rehanna, a
Pakistani women, arrives there because she needs to get a permit for her
immigration to Great Britain to live with her fiancé she hadn’t seen for
years.
Miss Rehanna gets out of the bus and meets the cheater Ali who is always
in front of the Consulate, selling illegal passports or answers for
immigration tests to the Tuesday women. Ali is telling Miss Rehanna that
he wants to give her an advice how to pass the test. Ali is even so
overwhelmed be the beautiful lady that he offers his advices for free.
But when he offers the wrong passports to Miss Rehanna she gets angry
and rejects the purpose telling Ali that she doesn’t want his illegal help. So
she goes into the consulate, while Ali is screaming after her that she’s
going to fail when she isn’t taking his tips.
Miss Rehanna, unimpressed from the screaming Ali, wents in the
consulate and talks to its members. After a while she comes out with a
smile that makes Ali think that she really got the permit without his help.
Miss Rehanna even invites him to eat something with her. While eating
Miss Rehanna tells him she didn’t get a permit and that she isn’t sad
about it. She actually doesn’t want to live with her fiancé whom she
hadn’t seen for such a long time.
When she leaves Ali she even has the happiest smile he has ever seen in
his live, so she really isn’t disappointed.
3.2.2. Setting
The story is set anywhere in Pakistan, the village is not clarified.
Probably Rushdie wanted to show, that the location isn’t important,
because this attitudes are kind of normal in whole Pakistan.
The only things we know from the town is that it is quite poor and that
it’s build of old and shabby houses, then there’s the bus stop and the
British consulate which is guarded by British soldiers. The British
consulate is shown as a contrast to the town in the beginning because
it shows the western lifestyle as something good and desirable
(=erstrebenswert), especially because the Tuesday women come there every week.
Miss Rehanna and the bus
Miss Rehanna meets Ali: offer of Ali
"Good advice is rarer than rubies"
Miss Rehanna hadn't to pay anything
hint of Ali
Miss Rehanna gets angry, rejects
Miss Rehanna didn't get a permit
She talks to Ali, reconcilation
Page 30
3.2.3. The Characters
Miss Rehanna Ali
Beautiful, knows how to use her female charms
Clever
Poor
self-confident,
becomes very angry
engaged to her fiancé in Great Britain
needs to get a permit
independent from Islamic rules
cares for the children in the end instead of going to her fiancé
It isn’t possible to stereotype Miss Rehanna, she has western (uses female charms) and eastern elements (cares for the children) and resembles anyhow both sides
poor, bagger
cheater (tries to earn money by this)
abuses the Tuesday Women
clever
overwhelmed and bewildered by Miss Rehanna
3.2.4. The Author: Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie was born in June 1947 in Mumbai and grew up there under a modern and not that
religious education. With only 14 he moved with his family to England and he later studied at
Cambridge University in the United States. In England he as well went to a theatre where he
performed several plays.
His first novel published Salman Rushdie with 28 years, it was called Grimus. Rushdie often deals with
religion and religious problems in his novels, as well as he deals with colonization and problems
which lasted till today (just like forced marriage).
Salman Rushdie got serious problems with his fourth novel called “The Satanic Verses” in which he
anyhow insulted Muslim believes that far, that some religious leaders sentenced him to death.
Caused by this event he lived for 9 and a half years under police protection and wasn’t able to rest
anywhere longer than a night.
3.2.5. Historical Background
3.2.5.1. Pakistan’s colonial past
India and Pakistan were both British colonies. When India gained its independence it became a
completely Hindu country. The Muslims in India mostly emigrated to Pakistan and the Hindus in
Pakistan had to emigrate to India.
Later Pakistan was divided into West and East Pakistan and this lead to tensions between the both
areas. East Pakistan fought because of this a war against the other area and declared its
independence in 1971 and is today known as Bangladesh.
So Pakistan had several conflicts with India on the one hand (that’s one reason why there’s still
hatred between the both countries) and had problems dealing with religious freedom over the years
(which is officially guaranteed in Pakistan!).
Page 31
3.2.5.2. Arranged marriage/Arranged engagements
In Pakistan it is still today often usual to arrange marriages. Those marriages or engagements are
often organized by the parents of the married ones and their decision is most of the time made
because of educational or financial reasons and seldom because the promised ones love each other.
There are usually two forms of arranged marriages. The semi-arranged marriage, where bride and
bridegroom can decide in the end, whether they want to marry or not and the completely arranged
marriage, where they really have to marry without any own decision.
Islam and the Pakistan government don’t officially allow arranged engagements and so they usually
are set “behind the scenes” and today the love marriage starts to establish in Pakistani society.
3.2.6. Main themes
3.2.6.1. Advices
An advice is an opinion which someone offers you about what you should do or how you should act
in a particular situation. This short story deals with advices and that you have to reflect which advices
you should take and which rather not.
Ali claims to have an advice for Miss Rehanna even though it isn’t really his opinion what he’s saying.
So you may ask yourself the question whether Ali really wants to help Miss Rehanna or not.
3.2.6.2. Stereotypes
Salman Rushdie makes it difficult to apply stereotypes to the characters of the short story. Miss
Rehanna seems to be the beautiful women who bewitches the men and is independent from Islamic
rules but on the other hand she is engaged to her fiancé in Great Britain, cares for the children whose
nanny she is and becomes very angry in the situation when she rejects Ali’s purpose. A few character
traits you wouldn’t expect from her after having read the beginning.
And the same thing happens with Ali. He appears as the cheater who fools the Tuesday women and
makes his money with this and suddenly he offers his “services” for free and is beginning to take care
for Miss Rehanna (so he is afraid, that she won’t get the permit without is help). Quite surprising that
someone who used to cheat women starts to help one he doesn’t even knows.
3.2.7. Links to other short stories
Immigration
The Black Madonna
Page 32
3.3. A Pair of Jeans
Quaisra Shahraz
3.3.1. Content
The short story begins when Miriam is coming home later than planned from
a trip with her friends. She’s dressed in a western way, with a tight pair of
jeans and a shirt showing her midriff. When she arrives at home she meets
her future parents-in-law who are anyhow shocked by her appearance, just
like Miriam’s mother (Fatima) who opens the door.
When they all went in, Miriam hurried up the stairs to her room where she
quickly changed her clothes to the traditional Muslim outfit. But Ayub and
Begum (her future parents-in-law) were still disturbed by her earlier dressing
and leave very soon with a lousy excuse.
When they’re at home Ayub and Begum discuss about what to do now with
Miriam’s inappropriate dressing. Begum likes Miriam and didn’t want to
cancel the marriage, but she is suppressed by her husband and has to talk to
Fatima, telling her that the marriage is cancelled. She is satisfying this with a
white lie. She’s telling the shocked mother that Farook was promised to the
daughter of Begums sister and can’t marry Miriam because of this. Fatima
explains this to her daughter who quickly realizes the lie.
Now the story is divided into two endings.
3.3.1.1. First Ending
In the first ending Miriam gets angry and throws away her western clothes
and can’t understand why Farook is leaving her because of this (even though
it actually wasn’t Farook’s decision).
3.3.1.2. Second Ending
In the second ending Miriam takes her western clothes back on and calls
Farook because she wants to discuss with him what he’s thinking. So she is
more self-confident in this ending.
3.3.2. Setting
The story is probably set in Northern Britain in a town with a larger
Pakistani community. The quarter in which the story is set seems to be
rather poor, but you actually don’t really get detailed information
where in Britain the story is set. The town has to be rather big, because
of the large Pakistani community.
The action takes place in the two houses of the Pakistani families about
which we as well know not really much. The only thing we realize is
that Miriam’s room is upstairs from the living room.
Shahraz intention to leave the location that open might be, that the story could be set anywhere in
Great Britain, because such things simply could happen everywhere.
Miriam is hurrying home: meets parents-in-law
Fatima opens the door →shocked
Miriam changes, Ayub and Begum leave
Discussion between Ayub and Begum
phone call: white lie (Begums sisters daughter)
1st ending: Miriam gets angry and kicks her clothes
2nd ending: M. takes her "dirty" clothes back on
2nd ending: M. calls Farook and discusses with him
Page 33
3.3.3. The Characters
Fatima Miriam Farook Ayub Begum
mother of Miriam
good friend of Begum
anxious about the marriage
helps her daughter although she breaks the “islamic tradition”
tries to bridge the gap between tradition and western values
daughter of Fatima
Muslim
wants to marry Farook
very integrated in the western world
adapts values of both worlds
studies in Britain
beautiful
self-conscious
obedient
respectful
embarrassed
son of Begum and Ayub
Miriams future husband
he shares the same hobbies
he doesn`t know anything about what happened
husband of Begum
Miriams future dad in law
strong ties with islamic tradition
dominance over Begum
good friend of Fatima
loves Miriam like her own daughter
has an own opinion
obedient
dissatisfied
3.3.4. The Author: Quaisra Shahraz
Quaisra Shahraz was born 1958 in Pakistan as the daughter of two Pakistani parents. She grew up her
first nine years in Pakistan till the family moved to Manchester in England (where she still lives
today).
So you see that Quaisra Shahraz got influences from both cultures and you may even suggest that the
short story is set in Manchester where she’s living. Furthermore she had always been an active
member of the Pakistani community in the United Kingdom and tried always to combine her home
country and its traditions with the new country.
In her novels and other stories she mainly dealt with two problems. On the one hand the problems of
the Pakistani community in England and on the other hand the suppression of women in their rights
(so she fought against gender roles or arranged marriages and engagements). With both topics she
deals as well in “A Pair of Jeans”.
3.3.5. Historical Background
3.3.5.1. The Pakistani community in England
The Pakistani community is a minority in England and counts about 1.3% of the English population.
They mostly immigrated in England when the British crown has colonized India and Pakistan and
forced the huge displacement of people due to India’s independence (see as well: 3.2.5.1. Pakistan’s
colonial past). The next wave arrived when the war between East and West Pakistan broke out.
Over 90% of the Pakistani community believes in Islam and is quite religious and furthermore a big
part is very aware of the honor of their families (which sometimes even leads to honor killings or
violence against women or men – last years: 3000 cases (even though they were not only committed
by the Pakistanis)).
In the short story we only have Pakistani characters. And when we take a look at characters like Ayub
we see as well that he’s Muslim and that he’s aware of the honor of his family.
Page 34
3.3.5.2. Arranged marriage/arranged engagement
Arranged marriages are as well a topic today in England. The English officials suggest that in more
than the half of the cases of forced marriage Pakistanis are involved. Furthermore they say that
about 90% of the forced women are Muslims.
The marriage between Farook and Miriam seems to be an arranged one, but it isn’t a problem for
Miriam and neither for Farook, because they actually love each other.
3.3.6. Main themes
3.3.6.1. Gender roles
The gender roles and the suppression of women are shown by Farook’s parents Ayub and Begum in
their discussion about whether the young couple can marry or not. Begum actually still wants the
marriage but she is overruled by her husband.
Furthermore he blames his wife that the arrangement was her fault and he forces her to call Fatima
to cancel the marriage even though such actions are usually done by both parents.
So all in all Begum has an own opinion, but she isn’t allowed to make it public and is suppressed.
3.3.6.2. Clash of cultures
Just like in several other short stories we’ve here two cultures clashing. There’s on the one side the
Western free and liberate lifestyle which is here represented by the attractive and short clothes
Miriam wears in the beginning of the short story and on the other side we’ve the Islamic traditional
clothes Miriam wears after she went in the house.
So we see that Miriam and her mother used to accept both cultures and as well tried to profit from
both whereas especially Ayub is focused on the traditional outfit and rejects the new Western
culture and furthermore isn’t accepting that others will live in that way.
3.3.7. Links to other short stories
Women
The Force of Circumst.
The Second Hut
The Black Madonna
Good Advice is Rarer than
Rubies
Hybridity
Dead Men's Path
A Meeting in the Dark
Clash of Cultures
An Outpost of Progress
The Force of Circumst.
Dead Men's Path
A Horse and Two Goats
A Meeting in the Dark
My Son the Fanatic
Clash of cultures
Page 35
3.4. My Son the Fanatic
Hanif Kureishi
3.4.1. Content
The story tells from Parvez a Pakistani Taxi Driver in Northern England and
his son Ali. Parvez used to care very much for his only son and was
because of this very shocked when Ali changed his behavior. He left his
girlfriend, distanced himself from his other friends and gave away most of
the things which were in his room.
The shocked Parvez is talking after this with his taxi driver colleagues who
suggest that the young Ali is taking drugs. Parvez is convinced from this
idea and talks as well to Bettina, a prostitute and friend of him, who
describes him the usual signs of drugs.
Parvez supervises his son and realizes that he actually isn’t taking drugs
but that he is a religious fanatic. The father wants to talk to his son and
goes out for a dinner with him. While eating, Ali accuses Parvez’s western
lifestyle and openly criticizes his behavior. The discussion escalates and
Parvez is drinking too much alcohol to play down his anger.
After this Parvez talks another time to Bettina who tries to support him
and who even talks to the fanatic in the taxi. But when Ali insults her for
her work as a prostitute she goes out of the taxi and leaves Parvez and Ali
alone.
When they arrive at home Parvez is really angry about his son’s behavior,
especially because he had made bad experiences with religion and he hits
his face. Ali, probably shocked by this, answers with the simple question
“Who’s the fanatic now?” when the story ends.
3.4.2. Setting
The story is set in a not specified town in Great Britain. You can suggest
that it is a rather big town, when hearing from traffic jams and the taxi
drivers. The story isn’t related to the colonization times but seems to take
place in the 1980s or the 1990s, so rather in our time (arguments are
again: traffic jam, lots of taxis).
The next important part of the setting is Ali’s room which dramatically
changes from a teenager’s room with television, video games, books and
cricket bats in a very tidy and ordered room with a surprising emptiness.
In the social environment of the Protagonist we’ve the taxi drivers, the prostitutes and Parvez’s wife,
who is just like in other short stories suppressed by him.
Parvez in Alis clean room
Parvez afraid: talks to his collegues (drug theory)
no drugs but praying
dinner with Ali
Parvez talks to Bettina "I've lost my son"
Bettina meets Ali
Parvez and Ali drove home and went up
Parvez hits Ali's face
Page 36
3.4.3. The Characters
Ali Parvez Bettina
son of Parvez
second generation immigrant
broke his education as an accouter
left his girlfriend
cleaned out his room
left all his friends
religious fanatic, devout
acts like Parvez’s father (tells him what is right and wrong)
first generation immigrant from Punjabi (Pakistan)
taxi driver
proud of his son
not religious since his religious education
adopted western values, unable to accept religious fanaticism
alcoholic and violent (in the end)
superior to his women
prostitute
good friend of Parvez (for years)
beautiful
not religious and no understanding for religious fanaticism
knows a lot about “underground phenomena” (drugs,…)
nice, friendly
understanding
3.4.4. The Author: Hanif Kureishi
Hanif Kureishi was born 1954 in Great Britain. He had a Pakistani father and a British mother. So he
used to grow up under two cultures and that’s one of the topics he often deals with in his plenty
works.
Kureishi wanted to be a writer since his childhood but started publishing his first works when Salman
Rushdie was sentenced to death by religious fanatics (see also 3.2.4. The Author: Salman Rushdie).
Shocked by this outbreak of violence in the Muslim world, Hanif Kureishi often criticizes fanatic
behavior and made it to one of his central themes in lots of his plays and novels.
The author received several prices for his works and was even once nominated for the Oscars for the
best screenplay with the film “My Beautiful Launderette”.
3.4.5. Historical Background
3.4.5.1. The Pakistan community in Great Britain
The Pakistanis are a minority in Great Britain. They immigrated after Indians declaration of
independence (see 3.3.5.1.). In Northern Britain they often form separated groups with own quarters
in which they often have separate shops and markets. Furthermore it’s interesting that every 6th
Pakistani men in Great Britain is working as a taxi driver.
Today the Pakistan community changes in that far that she begins to demand full integration instead
of creating a separate group. But even though there are still some radical and fanatic groups working
in an international network to terrorize the country.
The relation to the short story is that the story is set in a Pakistani community and that furthermore
Parvez is a taxi driver. The religious fanatic is Ali, who rejects the western lifestyle and isn’t accepting
that his father has another opinion.
Page 37
3.4.6. Main themes
3.4.6.1. Generation gap
A Generation gap describes differences in understandings and ratings of certain phenomena
between members of two generations.
In “My Son the Fanatic” we have this difference between Parvez (a first generation immigrant) and
his son Ali (second generation immigrant). Parvez probably immigrated to England because he saw
the Western lifestyle as something progressive and desirable. Parvez dislikes religious education
because he had bad experiences while he was educated.
Ali is a second generation immigrant and suddenly changed to religious fanaticism without that the
reader knows from a certain occasion which leads to this.
3.4.6.2. Religious fanaticism
In the short story there’s Ali who has changed into a religious fanatic and claims that his opinion is
the only right one. Religious fanaticism often leads to violent breakouts and so it’s quite surprising
that in the short story the non-fanatic immigrant hits his son instead of Ali.
But even though you feel, when you read the short story, rather sympathy for Parvez and not for Ali
that far. So Hanif Kureishi rates religious fanaticism as well as something bad and wants to convince
you to get the same opinion.
And anyhow religious fanaticism leads as well in this short story to a violent breakout, even though it
is one from the other side, it isn’t rated as being something good.
3.4.7. Links to other short stories
Religion
A Meeting in the Dark
Mysticism vs. Materialism
A Horse and Two Goats
Hybridity
Dead Men's Path
A Meeting in the Dark
A Pair of Jeans
Clash of Cultures
The Force of Circumst.
Dead Men's Path
A Horse and Two Goats
A Meeting in the Dark
A Pair of Jeans
Generation gap
A Pair of Jeans
A Meeting in the Dark
Page 38
II. Closing Remarks of the Author
So auf 10 Seiten weniger als in Mathe wäre jetzt auch der erste Teil fürs Englisch Abitur zusammengefasst: die Short Stories und pro Short Story jeweils drei Seiten mit (hoffentlich) allen wichtigen Informationen dazu. Ich weise wie immer in Englisch darauf hin, dass Englisch nicht gerade mein Lieblingsfach ist und dass sich mit Sicherheit einige Fehler eingeschlichen haben. Von daher schreibt mir gerne eine Mail, wenn sich ein Fehler so häuft dass es nervt, weil dann hilft mir das mit Sicherheit auch in meinem Abitur Wie immer bei Fragen/Fehlern/eigenen Zusammenfassungen und was auch immer sonst dürft ihr mir gern eine Mail schreiben ([email protected]). Ich werde als nächstes fürs Abitur die Physik-Zusammenfassung schreiben und vielleicht kommt auch noch Deutsch vor dem Abi, da bin ich mir allerdings noch nicht so sicher – mal schauen. In dem Sinne wünsche ich allen, die ich nicht mehr vor dem Abitur sehe viel Erfolg beim Abitur und viel Erfolg in eurem weiteren (Berufs-)Leben. Mit freundlichem Gruß,