Notes

.Family breakdown:

In “The Buddha of Suburbia”, the decision of father Haroon to replace his wife and children by his mistress causes a complete breakdown of the family. Karim “always wanted to be somewhere else, and “often went to the park to sit in the piss-stinking shed and smoke with the other boys who'd escaped from home. Furthermore, Karim frequently stays over at Jamila's house, which functions as a surrogate family when he wants to avoid the tensions at home. He admits that “Jamila and her parents were like an alternative family”, where Karim finds shelter when his own family had him thinking of running away. Yet, it is especially the break up between his parents which affects Karim's personality and leaded to this entire family breakdown.



in "My Son the Fanatic" which is focusing on a father-son relationship, the father Parvez, is stick to his dream of providing for his family and putting his son through college, and have a bright future, and his son Ali, who became fiercely anti-Western as he is fully following Islam rules. parvez is fearing that his son will get his life destroyed because he becomes to be caught up in his belief that he will not accept anybody else. the two of them are now divided between two different worldview. which will lead them to a family breakdown, The father and son talk past each other, not to each other, the relationship between them, is a relationship which is slowly broken down bit by bit. Parvez’s anger is most likely disguised by his fear. although he does try to reach the son. They cannot communicate because neither can understand the other. In the end, violence results. Kureishi is saying that we have to learn to listen to and understand each other before we can hope to solve differences.