Short Stories Postcolonialism

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to obtain green card: will join him after 6 weeks stay at YMCA hotel = noisy and stuffy Our ■ ■ d) 30 years later: house in town near Boston narrator and Mala = American citizens; have son, who attends Harvard University connection to India: regularly visit Calcutta; maintain Indian customs (e.g. eating rice with hands, speaking Bengali) ➜ realize that as time passes, their son may not do SO narrator worries about his son but feels there is no obstacle he can't c) rented apartment after Mala's arrival in the US ■ rents apartment after 6 weeks in order to life with Mala: remain strangers in the overcome amazed by own life: compares successful journey to moon- landing of astronauts beginning narrator: adapted to way of life in US; "americanized" (e.g. eats cornflakes for breakfast) vs. Mala traditionally Indian in dress, attitude and taste (e. g. wears Sari) → sees Mala as burden; fearful about how Mala's arrival might stunt his own ability to assimilate takes Mala to visit Mrs. Croft: Mrs. Croft curiously looks Mala over, assessing her → narrator is reminded of own experience as newly arrived immigrant & sympathises with Mala; Mrs. Croft approves of Mala, calling her a "perfect lady"; narrator and Mala begin to grow closer narrator cries after noticing Mrs. Croft's obituary in the newspaper = consoled by Mala: first death narrator mourns in America because Mrs. Croft's was the first life he admired Topics: assimilation and arranged marriage: young immigrant manages to adjust to his new home in a different country and to a new bride loneliness that one is bound to feel in a foreign land but also feeling of coming home (befriending Mrs. Croft; title: "The third and final continent"; bonding with Mala) upward mobility/American dream (living conditions improve constantly) successful integration without having to give up Indian identity 8 Mala: narrator's wife; dark skin --> rejected by many men; goes. to US with little assurance and lesser preparation l-narrator unnamed Bengali immigrant; polite and enduring; can easily adapt to different customs; seems emotionally cold in the beginning Mrs. Croft: eccentric 103 year old woman; former piano - teacher; obsessed with the American moon landing --> constantly wants the narrator to express his enthusiasm ("splendid"); old-fashioned humorous; formidable figure *o.o Summary Samir visits mosque in area where he used to live with family → prays for wife's soul & own escape nostalgic/reminisces while walking area which is now thriving with different migrant communities; realizes distinct shift between generations ■ ■ ■ The Escape (2009) - Quaisra Shaharaz = after death of his wife 73-year-old protagonist Samir feels like he doesn't belong and visits homeland Pakistan; wishes to "escape"/ find home-place where he belongs loneliness: lives in 5 bedroom detached house but with wife and family gone all the joy of living had fled dinner with family on Eid day at eldest daughter's house: first Eid without wife Sabiya feels lonely, estranged from family/like interloper decides & reveals to family that he will spend few months in Pakistan because he needs a change of scenery: "I want to go back home - to Pakistan. [...] you've all got busy lives and families [...] I'll hardly be missed."; questions concept of home stays with brother's family in Lahore: surprised by visit; Samir feels like burden/guest visits parents' graves in small village → thinks about own burial & wife's recent death; cries sees young man pulling suitcase visits widow whom his wife supported and promises to continue sponsorship as well as to pay for education of daughters → bursts into tears prays at Data Gunj Darbar (mother's favourite shrine) returns to brother's house and informs family (to their surprise) about early return to England → refers to Manchester as "at home" - Topics: ■ meets Ibrahim, man his age, on plane & both ruminate about the term "home"; states that he will move into "new home" in the UK Samir and Ibrahim move into elderly people's home: leaves house to children & instructs them to continue support of Pakistani widow; finally feels at home I ■ ■ second generation of immigrants (of different attitude; more integrated) motif of escaping concept of home/ sense of belonging inequality of life/ poverty in Pakistan (widow & ghters): "This is their humble world and I live in a large house all by myself." hospitality/family death/grief spend life working hard & working way up to improve standard of living family/ give children access to good education Characterization Samir: shy, selfless hard-working ("retirement was forced on him") ■ flashback: remembers days of arrival in England small town Blackburn came with friend to London → too anonymous, felt shy & uncomfortable stayed at friend's house in Darwen on narrow space & took job at textile mill: overqualified/ good education, father disappointed; worked hard to support wife and daughter back in Pakistan; planned to eventually go "back home" move to Manchester: built house to illustrate economic well-being to father; started knitwear manufacturing business & bought factory phase of uncertainty for migrants because of racism/ Enoch Powell's speech "the rivers of blood" → decided to stay, faith in justice system religious Muslim; devoted to family born & raised in Pakistan; immigrated to UK in 1960s lonely after death of his wife: feels distanced from children/ grandchildren ("of different generation and attitude"); feels like he doesn't belong Concept of home: Pakistan =homeland; family back in Lahore (brother, sister); feels that he can return at any time and is welcomed; visit for nostalgic reasons ("love affair") UK = place where on lives permanently (lived there for over 30 years); family in Manchester (children, grandchildren) "And the decades simply slipped away, melting away his youth and gradually severing the links with his homeland." Elderly people home = closure; new beginning → Home special connection to place/people; feeling of belonging & safety Uk • children grandchildren Ibrahim HOHE? Samir Sabiya + Samir's Escapes Pakistan C sibilings parents' grave widow & daughters Lahore/Pakistan ene Manchester/Uk Blackburn/Uk Darwen/Uk A Lahore/Pakistan London/UK Manchester/Uk ene Motif of escaping: wish to "escape" to a better place where he will finally "belong" life has been a constant journey to "escape" from one place to another (e.g. leaving Pakistan for better life) feeling nowhere at ease; being on the run I-narrator Londoner upper middle-class single mother with young son •"not in the habit of making friends with strangers" aloof; unsociable; reserved; biased 3rd-generation immigrant grandmother refugee from the Caribbean at first homeless; Stranger offered her warm bed for the night ↳ "kept her alive"; told all grandchildren about act of benevolence ("Good Samaritan") now racist; prejudiced; xenophobic scrounging refugees (...) I can't even speak language, storming the country & making it difficult for her & everyone else" development of the narrator's attitude towards Laylor situation forces her to ask strangers for help intrigued by Laylor's appearance ("there was sth. about this girl"); assumes she is Spanish due to accent mocking comments cross her mind searches Laylor after she left ↳ feels obliged to pay her back; doesn't want to owe her ↓ looking at art/exchanging views ⇒ different taste/views shows up/demonstrates familarity with portraits ↳defines herself through education, social status, cultural identity; 11 'superior teaching role": colonizer - - ↓ invites Laylor for a cup of tea: asking questions gives up her principles: begins to open up to a stranger obligation to return kind gesture or curiousity - while getting to know more about Laylor narrator seems to become more and more biased and repelled of her: Usbekistani background, strange encounter with girl's brother, unhygenic behaviour ↳ feeling sick, disgusted ↓ turning point/climax of narrator's reluctance toward Laylor: finds out that she is homeless immediately different perspective ↳notices things about outer appearance she has not seen before wave of hatred/resentment: prejudice accusing Laylor of bad intentions/º having iniciated encounter Even though L. never asked for anything. ↳irrational, delusional, xenophobic angry: "why me?"; doesn't want to be involved multiple negatively connoted words ("awful stink, filthy") mixed feelings/ inner conflict: torn between fear/prejudice vs. urge to help ! situation described solely through narrator's eyes: Laylor's thoughts remain unclear ܝܐ Laylor - - - 00 not older than 18 refugee from Usbekistan, who has been in London with her brother for three days ↳after arrest of her parents politically prosecuted journalists complete and sudden change genorous: offers all her money to stranger open; talkative; interest in art cares about her looks, fits in vs. flaws that indicate homeless- ness, unhygenic behaviour/ according to unrefined manners narrator pity/urge to help: empathy thinking of her grandmother knows that being kind would be the right thing ould turn away.") to do ("Only savage ↳resolves to help her imagines herself Letting Laylor stay the night; result: overwhelmed; embarrassed; doesn't want to be involved panicky flees the scene & abandons girl topics: title: connects narrator to Laylor ↳feels obliged poverty all Laylor has but still willing to give sth. to stranger in need without hesitating acts of kindness, charity, helping strangers Good Samaritan" refugees; poverty 3rd-generation immigrants xenophobia initial situation: narrator in need of change in bathroom of National Portrait Gallery in London Laylor & narrator Look at portraits Laylor helps narrator with loose change Loose change by Andrea Levy (2005) over tea, narrator Learns that Laylor is not a Spanish tourist, but an (homeless) Uabek refugee being genorous does not depend on wealth but many people shy away because they don't want to become involved of Jamaican descent 2nd-generation-immigrant working-class background EXIT narrators conflicting emotions: wants to help but also wants to shun responsibility narrator Leaves on pretex without helping Laylor Darcey Bussell Ź Alan Bennett I-narrator: The rain missed my face and fell straight to my shoes general information: characteristics : connection to family/homeland: 4" "Samir" illegal immigrant from Cairo, who lives in London no legal papers/documentation . has to work several low-wage jobs → poverty (kitchen of a café; underground stations; at the cinema) scruffy/poor outer appearance: →hole in his left shoe →dirty clothes from work Muslim; speaks Arabic and English family is very important to him: ed, obligated puts mother's well-being above his needs ⇒risks everything, Looses job → steals till to have money to fly her to London for treatment → determined to do it again and obtain money to fly her body back to Cairo wants mother to be properly buried in Cairo regardless of consequences for himself connection to homeland; lies to family about his life in the UK/misery values tradition insecure, shy: identity?; Likes to hide → concerned/afraid how he appears and what other people think of him/ how others perceive him (especially white Londoners) { makes assumptions about other people → fears that people see sth. in him that isn't really in him criminal; stereotypes Strict moral code / sense of justice → thinking about himself as a thief makes him sich → feeling like a criminal/illegal → "I am not doing anything illegal; I'm only trying to make a living" → forced to give up moral standards in order to get by feels guilty; wish to be scared to be alone: considers to go to Paris with only friends honorable Aqil and youssef against his will belonging to friends, London = familiar surroundings or friendship with Youssef: submissive; bad influence family in Cairo, Egypt? (do things he never wanted to do in the first place) selfless optimistic working hard to change things lyrics: "The world is a cigarette and a drink, when people abandon you ... all you have left everywhere you can see chances/hope"; little insignificant things" escapism 2 trying to escape own reality ·by drinking; smoking weed; constantly watching films fantasy in the cinema; fantasy misfortune crushed by own misery: poor, lonely · death of his mother after loosing everything in an attempt to safe her imagines to have escaped with King Farouk to exile poor living conditions would be honourable; acceptance title Someone looking down → depressed, sad, desperate associations with rain: sadness, grief, misery The rain missed my face and fell straight so my shoes by Saeed Taji Farouky (2005) Summary - Samir goes to the cinema → friend allows him to enter without ticket (has only eighty-seven pence) - hugs friend Youssef, who works at the gate →haven't seen each other for 17 days → tells him about death of his mother Youssef joins Samir in the movie theatre → Samir explains what had happend while watching a horror movie next night: → - in a café with Youssef and Aquil talk about European and American Leaders; Love/marriage; looking for ways to make money →watch TV Later one night: - Samir works in kitchen of Café Tangier →Aquil tells him that he will go with Youssef to Paris; asks Samir to come on tube to South London →in thoughts/fantasy of escaping with King Farouk to exile → drinking beer staring at girl and talking nonsense → flashback through talks and thoughts/ memories of the I-narrator 11 author makes documentaries about human rights issues - criticizes cross cultural media for being about fulfilling prejudices of the viewers ↳gives people in his film control/ enables to show their true self postcolonial experience - struggle with poverty → trying to make a living illegal immigrants: no integration; feel like criminals, Lonely, illegitimate [Aquil] always thinks too much about what he's going through. Youssef and I try not to think about it. We go to the cinema and watch films instead." can't stand their miserable reality: escapism (alcohol, drugs, cinema) characters Youssef: Egyptian; confident: doesn't care what other people think about him; caring; dominant, bad influence for Samir (stealing, drinking) Aquil: Iraqi; doctorate in physics; used to be on National Weight-Lifting Team; works in video shop; criticizes politicians; rational, realistic Hamza Somali; bad English key quotes "1 "Now I have to go through Losing her and Losing all my money at the same time. ⇒loss; self-sacrifice/obligation to family; misery; misfortune "1 And don't forget, it's really our fault. We let them push us around like this... identify as colonized; oppressed; used "That's why I don't tell them what I'm doing. I tell them instead that I'm doing fine and I'm happy and making money." " lies to family about situation disgrace; discrepancy between expections/dream of Life in the UK vs. reality; inhumane conditions 11 I left my country to escape from criminals and I came here, and I became a criminal." criticizes concept of illegal immigrants; precarious living conditions force illegals to do criminal things in order to get by I'm not doing anything illegal, I'm only trying to make a living. ⇒poverty, barely getting by; not ambitious "If I knew where to get money, I would get it. "All I want is to live simply. I don't want to get rich, suck the money out of this country. I'm only trying to earn a living Summary →set in bus in London →narrator and daugther Mariam get on a bus → aisle is blocked by "Somali woman with a pram and toddler because two white women are sitting on fold-up seats in the pram space on purpose → pretend to not see what's going on, gleam of satisfaction" 11 →narrator points out empty seats to women as suggestion to move and make space for "Somali woman ignored →narrator tries to sympathise & talk with "Somali woman" →narrator expects black bus driver to intervene but he aggressively yells at "Somali woman": tells her to either leave or fold up pram → →Somali woman". firmly holds her ground without being rude; declines narrator's offer to take her seat ("haughty queen") → two women start loud racist conversation →> author topics ·moral courage I every day racism ignorance • hypocrisy → no other passangers speaks up against wrongdoing; →narrator in conflict: makes excuses for not intervening → Mariam tries to speak up but narrator holds her back older woman gets on • narrator acts exactly like the two woman: doesn't give up her seat to person, who should have priority on principle reverse racism" • Mariam wants to offer older woman her seat but narrator stops her ➜arrival at bus stop in Woodgreen two woman get off and shout abuse at "Somali woman Somali woman gets off too narrator tells Somali woman to report bus driver ⇒>> response: states that he was a slave; I am not a slave, I would rather die than be one." narrator takes Mariam for a special treat distraction, apology → → She shall not be moved 4 by Sheeren Pandit (2005) title political activist & lawyer of Muslim South African descent moral attitude of children courage fear of speaking up class & social conditions political activism fled to London in 1987 after getting in conflict with South African government while fighting for rights of the black community suggests conflict & someone holding their ground passive resistance; silent protest → association: Montgomery Bus Boycott characters "Somali woman: black; wears long dark dress with a veil; "huge"; child in pram + toddler; stays calm but holds her ground; silent protest Mariam narrator's daughter; wants to stand up against wrongdoing like she was raised; innocent; "kid with an attitude"; brave → doesn't fear ! situation described solely through narrator's eyes: thoughts remain unclear postcolonial experience conflict: black vs. white - racism →"miserable country -black people face/fear unfair treatment → don't dare to stand up against discrimination (,,slave") living under domi- natin of whites/colonized consequences & wants to do the right thing represents narrator's conscience: shows difference between moral standards and actions; critique of society →>> white women: two; fifthy-ish; racist; ignorant busdriver aggressive towards Somali woman; black; called "slave" doesn't dare to speak up against white people & projects fault onto black woman first-person narrator young mother; immigrant (black?) doesn't follow own moral conduct constantly mentions what she should do but never does it beliefs and values well raised/ to be polite ("always show them we're better") raised Mariam to stand up against wrongdoing knows she should stand up for Somali woman right thing to do ↳ behaviour doesn't intervene: fears to get thrown off doesn't give her seat up for white woman in need against her own principles ↳no better than two white women; revenge →1. hypocrite ("reverse racism") 2. conflicted: makes excuses; not brave enough/wants no trouble → upset, ashamed "They can say what they want about anti-racist laws, but I've yet to see them stop people like these two slinging their poison around." I'm only living in this miserable country because I'd got into trouble back home, fighting for our rights." new forms of racism every-day racism "white superiority" "gleam of satisfaction in their eyes [...] as if to say: 'That'll show you who's boss!" politically active courage has left her as immigrant in new country: fears consequences due to racism if she stands up, even if she is clearly in the right. ", one of their kind' All white. No-one's saying anything, no-one's seeing anything, no-one's hearing anything. Not their business. Cardie "Mac" no moral courage; no-one wants to be involved JO narrator Miriam Oo "And guess whose side the police would be on!" "But what's the point in having a go? [...] I probably will get chucked off then for stirring. I reckon it's his job to tell the woman to move. I mean why should I do his dirty work?" 388 driver