preview

My Son The Fanatic Essay

Decent Essays

“My son the fanatic” is a short story by the author Hanif Kureishi first published in The New Yorker 1994. In the story we meet the Pakistani immigrant Parvez and his son Ali. Parvez migrated from Pakistan before he got his son. They now live in London, England, where Ali was born and raised. Working as a taxi driver Parvez haven’t had an ease getting money, but with dedication, he has raised enough money for his son to get the dream education as an accountant. But lately Ali has acted significantly different. A change from what you would call a normal Western cultured teen who plays sports and video games to a muslim fanatic who prays five times a day. It is this change that starts the statement of problems represented in the story. Parvez deeply wants to embrace his son with all the …show more content…

Ali is remarkably dedicated and confident in his religion, and nothing can persuade him into another assumption of life. It is evident that Ali has nothing left for Western people, in the way he behaves towards his father when they talk/discuss life viewpoints. All things considered Ali is steadfast in his faith, and doesn’t seem likely to change.

Bettina works as a mirror in this story. She reflects the set of values that Parvez and Ali have. In their opinions about her, we can clearly see the difference that Parvez’s and Ali’s philosophy of life possesses. Bettina’s character is within the culture clash of Parvez and Ali.

The thematic in this short story is definitely a culture clash between the West and the muslims. In the right hand we have a father, Parvez who symbolize the Western culture, and in the left hand we have Ali who represent the muslims. The story deals with a well known conflict, the divide between the fundamentalists and the materialists. Not only this it also shows the generational conflict where a son is breaking away from his

Get Access