my son the fanatic

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restaurant, Parvez drinks too much alcohol so they begin to quarrel. Ali criticises his father because of breaking to many rules of the Koran and wants him to change his life. Later he also tells his father that he wants to give up his studies in accounting. Because Parvez thinks that he has lost his son and e cannot endure his son's criticism any longer he wants his son to get out of his house. But Bettina can convince him of trying to identify with his son that Parvez endures his son's criticism and that he is even growing a beard to please his son. Furthermore he tries to talk to his son to tell him his attitudes of life. But Ali still despises his father because he does not stick to the Koran. When Parvez drives around Bettina with his taxi they meet Ali on the street and they stop and take him with them because Bettina wants to talk with him. But when she tells him that his father loves him, Ali only gets angry and begins to insult Bettina so that she leaves the car. Because Parvez now is very angry about his son he begins to drink when they arrive at home so that he finally goes into his son's room to hit his son who neither covers himself nor retaliates. Parvez Pakistani immigrant in England - grew up in Lahore & has been a taxi-driver for twenty years - Parvez was taught the Koran in Lahore -> his relationship to the Koran is very bad = indifference to the Koran at his young age: His maulvi had to attach a string to the ceiling and to tie it to Parvez' hair to stop him from falling asleep while he was studying the Koran - in England his attitude to the Koran has not changed - When he is told by his son that he is breaking the rules of the Koran, Parvez shrugs or answers "For instance?" - he loves crispy bacon and avoids all religions - he likes Bettina very much => He could talk to her about things he'd be never able to discuss with his own wife" - has his problems with alcohol => "he went more often to the whisky bottle, even when he was at work." And even when he knows that he gets drunk he cannot stop himself from drinking Ali -son of Parvez - is going to give up his studies in accounting to work in prison - His behaviour has changed => has givin up sports, is getting tidier and is outgrowing his teenage attitudes - he parts from his English girlfriend and throws his possessions out - His behaviour results from his Islamic religion, which makes him stick to the Koran => he prays five times a day and goes to the mosque - has a very close relationship to Islam => "The law of Islam would rule the world, the skin of the infidel world would burn off again and again: the Jews and Christers would be routed", which makes him even think of going to war: "My people have taken enough. If the persecution doesn't stop, there will be jihad." - His Islamic religion lets him also become arrogant which becomes clear in his behaviour to Bettina => she asks him something he only replies: "Who are you to ask me these questions?" My son the fanatic -Relationship between Parvez and his son Ali. - relationship between Parvez and Ali is bad and they do not understand each other - reason for this is Ali's development to a Muslim, which Parvez does not notice - Parvez notices that his son's behaviour has changed, but Parvez is not able to bring up the subject of Ali's unusual behaviour - this behaviour results from Ali's religion - Parvez does not only have problems to understand his son, he also misunderstands his son by interpreting his behaviour as being addicted to drugs - even Parvez does not understand his son anymore he loves Ali anyway => works long hours for Ali and yearns for the time when they were "brothers" - Parvez decides to go out with his son => he wants to restore his old relationship with his son, but refuses to accompany his father = clear that he does not like his father anymore - So Parvez has to insist on his opinion that no appointment could be more important than that of a son with his father - when they are together in the restaurant the religious aspect why they do not understand each other becomes clear => Ali does not accept his father's way of life, because he does not stick to the Koran so that he even hates his father for this - Parvez suffers from his son's intolerance towards him => Parvez even cries and tries everything to please his son so that they will be "brothers" again => But Ali does not seem to notice his father anymore => Even when Parvez is growing a beard to please his son, Ali does not seem to notice it - Parvez feels that he has lost his son - In my opinion it also shows that they have "lost" each other "Parvez stumbled and fell in the road, scraping his hands and ripping his trousers > The boy didn't even offer him his hand." - Another situation, which shows that they are really apart from each other, is when Parvez and Bettina drive around with the taxi. They meet Ali and take him with them In this situation it even seems that Bettina has a closer relationship to Parvez than Ali has because he gets into the back seat, where passengers normally sit, while Bettina sits in the front, beside Parvez. - it is not only the religious aspect which makes Parvez and Ali understand each other so badly = generation conflict = often have different attitudes towards life - Parvez wants his son to make "the best" of his life but this life is for sure not the life Ali wants - Parvez thinks he has lived a decent life, Ali does not think so because in his opinion his father has broken countless rules of the Koran - Parvez thinks that they have to fit in in England, Ali thinks that Parvez is "too implicated" in Western civilisation - Because of this generation conflict and their bad situation resulting from Ali's religious behaviour the situation escalates - Parvez who feels that he has lost his son loses his temper and hits the boy - the story ends at this point, you can figure out that by this act Parvez and Ali have "lost" each other forever