My Son The Fanatic (1994)

By
Hanif Kureish
Biography:
 Hanif Kureishi, CBE (born 5 December 1954) is a British playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker and novelist of
Pakistani and English descent. (London. King's College London. Philosophy. Pakistani father and English mother)
 Famous for postcolonial literature (racial discrimination)
 Kureishi started his career in the 1970s as a pornography writer. He went on to write plays for the Hampstead
Theatre, Soho Poly, and by the age of 18, was with the Royal Court.
 In most of his work he wrote about different sexual orientations, race, nationalism, and immigrations.

Famous Works:
 The Buddha of Suburia 1990. The Black Album 1995. Intimacy 1998. Something to Tell You 2008. The Last
Word 2013. Etc.

Historical Context:
Postcolonial time of Great Britain with special regard to the immigration:

 Brief about British Raj.

 British Nationality Act in 1948. Common Wealth and mass immigration to GB began.
 Two million Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani immigrated. (British Economy were growing. Invited ppl all
around the colonies. Badly-paid)
 GB Development to a multicultural country created problems. (cultures, religions, and languages)
 Integrations problems ( inter and intra community)
 A lot of the British were afraid of losing their jobs to the immigrants so racial conflicts arose and segregation
became very widespread.
 One of the first results was the Race Relation Act of 1976, which made racial discrimination unlawful.
 One of the first results was the Race Relation Act of 1976, which made racial discrimination unlawful. To reduce
immigration in Great Britain The British Nationality Act was passed in 1983. By this act the members of the
British Commonwealth and those who were not born in Great Britain or whose parents were not born there lost
the British Citizenship.

Aspects of Islam:
1. The daily prayers
2. The Zakat
3. The Saum
4. Hajj

To escape from moral corruption, Muslims are strictly forbidden to take drugs or to drink alcohol.
They are also forbidden to eat pork because Muslims think it contributes to the “lack of morality and shame”
because in their opinion it increases the greed for wealth to eat pigs.

Characters:
1. Pervez (The father)
 2. Ali (Son) Radical ideas: reading Quraan. Leave GF. Growing beard. Helping poor. Simple way of life.
(Pervez beats Ali: now who is the actual fanatic)
3. Bettina (prostitute)

Summary: Main Ideas

 Problems of Pervez.
 Migrated to GB.
 Pervez worried about his son.
 Ali’s behavior significantly changed.
 Pervez afraid to discuss it with his friends.
 Ali might addicted to drug.
 Finds Bettina, a prostitute.
 Bettina instruct Pervez to observe his son.
 Ali is growing beard.
 Ali prays 5 times. No bad affairs of Ali.
 Ali dinner with father.
 insult father… western culture. Drink. Pork. I am give up on my degree.
 Western education cultivates an anti religious attitude.
 Leave Ali…. Directed by Pervez.
 Bettina advise ali about his attitude.
 Pervez grows his beard to make happy his son.
 You are still not following to holly Quraan.
 Ali and Bettina. ( his father love him. Insult Bettina. She leaves the car)
 Pervez beats Ali. (No response)
 Who’s the fanatic now?

Themes:
1. Identity
2. Respect
3. Religion
4. Integration
5. Father son relationship.
6. Cultural clash
TONE AND MOOD
The story has a vivid tone and sad mood , because it shows the father son relationship getting affected by two different
concepts i.e Islamic fundamentalism and western culture.
-Style and vocabulary used is simple in the story and its not complicated.
Tahirullah
7th semester