I am interested to find out within Hanif Kureishi's "The Buddha of Suburbia" if Kureishi made racism a topic in the novel and if it is intended or if he might think along different lines.
To find an answer to these questions I will start with a definition of racism. Therefore, a short look into the history of the term will lead us to the current understanding of racism and the topics connected to it. When the understanding of racism within the bound of this work is defined, the work on the novel starts and I will quote different passages where racism becomes obvious.
The third part of this work examines if Kureishi intended to write about racism or if it happened unintended. To find an answer for this part I will focus on Kureishi’s biography to find probable parallels, and at the society in London at the time, as well as the politics. After these three steps a conclusion will be drawn to answer the question of the beginning.
Table of Contents
1. The Term of Racism
1.1 Racism and the Term of Race
1.2 New Racism, Cultural Racism and Racism Today
1.3 The Ideology of Racism
1.4 The Understanding of Racism for this Work
2. Introduction of the Novel and the Main Characters
3. Passages of Racism Expressed in The Buddha of Suburbia
3.1 Racist Discrimination and Attacks
3.2 Immigrants and their Racist Ideas
3.3 Racism and the Police
4. Parallels between the Biography of H. Kureishi and The Buddha of Suburbia
5. London – its Society in the 1970’s and Racism
Research Objectives and Themes
This work aims to determine whether Hanif Kureishi intentionally incorporated racism as a central, explicit topic in his novel The Buddha of Suburbia. By analyzing the narrative's portrayal of discrimination against immigrant characters and contextualizing these depictions within the sociopolitical climate of 1970s London and the author's own autobiographical background, the study investigates the depth and purpose of these themes.
- Theoretical definitions of biological and cultural racism.
- Analysis of specific textual passages depicting racial discrimination and violence.
- Examination of the autobiographical parallels between Kureishi’s life and his protagonist.
- Evaluation of the 1970s London sociopolitical environment regarding race relations.
- Assessment of the author's intent regarding the thematic focus on racism.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Racist Discrimination and Attacks
The first chapter showed that there are different reasons why people become or act racist, but that the result is always the discrimination of a group who is some kind different from the one discriminating. In the following quotes becomes visible that racists define Karim, Jamila and Changez as the Other due to their darker skin colour. That becomes obvious through different verbal utterances, for example when Karim wants to visit a friend, her father sends him away with the words: “We don’t want you blackies coming to the house.” And: “However many niggers there are, we don’t like it. We’re with Enoch” (40). The character clearly sympathises with Enoch Powell – a conservative politician, who fuelled the resentment in the society against the immigrants and their offspring publicly. This is an explicit parallel to the history, more in chapter 5.
With Karim describing the overall every day treatment by the English society it becomes also visible that Jamila and him are caught between two stools, between two cultures: “The thing was, we were supposed to be English, but to the English we were always wogs and nigs and Pakis and the rest of it” (53). This statement shows especially with the word “always” that the characters are exposed to hostility and discrimination on a daily level; that there is a fixed racist attitude in the society surrounding the characters, the following passages support this interpretation as well.
They are not only called names, also insults and physical attacks are part of their every day life, e.g. at school or on the street. An example of Karim talking about his every day life at school: “I was sick too of being affectionately called Shitface and Curryface, and of coming home covered in spit and snot and chalk and woodshavings. […] the other kids liked to lock me and my friends in the storeroom and have us chant ‘Manchester United, we are the boot boys’ as they held chisels to our throats and cut off our shoelaces” (63).
Summary of Chapters
1. The Term of Racism: This chapter provides a theoretical foundation by discussing the evolution of the term "race," the transition from biological to cultural definitions of racism, and the concept of racism as an ideology.
2. Introduction of the Novel and the Main Characters: This section introduces the plot and primary figures of Hanif Kureishi's novel, establishing the narrative framework of a protagonist searching for his identity in 1970s London.
3. Passages of Racism Expressed in The Buddha of Suburbia: This chapter categorizes and analyzes specific textual evidence of racial discrimination, including verbal abuse, physical violence, and the institutional failure of the police to protect victims.
4. Parallels between the Biography of H. Kureishi and The Buddha of Suburbia: This analysis demonstrates the highly autobiographical nature of the novel, linking the author's own upbringing and experiences with racial hostility to the narrative arc of the protagonist.
5. London – its Society in the 1970’s and Racism: This final chapter contextualizes the novel within the historical reality of 1970s London, examining the rise of political groups like the National Front and the prevailing sociopolitical climate that influenced the author's work.
Keywords
Racism, Hanif Kureishi, The Buddha of Suburbia, 1970s London, Identity, Colonial history, Cultural racism, Discrimination, Immigrants, National Front, Enoch Powell, Autobiography, Social critique, Othering, Race relations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines whether the theme of racism in Hanif Kureishi's The Buddha of Suburbia is an intentional narrative choice by the author rather than an accidental occurrence.
What are the primary thematic fields addressed?
The central themes include the sociological definitions of racism, the experience of racial discrimination, the influence of colonial history, and the intersection of autobiographical elements with literary fiction.
What is the research goal of this work?
The goal is to provide evidence that Kureishi purposefully integrated racism as an explicit topic to reflect the social realities and prejudices of 1970s London.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a qualitative analysis approach, combining theoretical discourse on racism with a close reading of the novel's text and a biographical comparison between the author and his protagonist.
What content is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section investigates specific text passages depicting racist acts, explores the influence of immigration background on the characters' lives, and contextualizes the narrative within the political climate of the 1970s.
How can this work be characterized through keywords?
The work is characterized by terms such as systemic racism, cultural identity, autobiography, post-colonial literature, and 20th-century British social history.
Why does the author consider the novel to be a "historical novel"?
As noted in the conclusion, Kureishi himself described the book as a historical document of the specific suburbs and time period (late 1960s and 1970s) in which he grew up.
How do the characters Jamila and Karim navigate their social environment?
The characters are depicted as being "caught between two stools," struggling with their identity while being targets of daily verbal and physical abuse due to their background.
- Quote paper
- Karolin Liebig (Author), 2015, Hanif Kureishi's "The Buddha of Suburbia" and the Topic of Racism, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/321406
