At last! The post we were all waiting for...

Hey you guys, guess who's got high anxiety? Lol, sorry this is so late, my stupid father's computer wouldn't let me on, this is the first chance I had :( sorry...
lucy xx

‘The Buddha of Suburbia’ - Hanif Kureishi
Specialist Study


‘The Buddha of Suburbia’ is the first novel by Indian writer Hanif Kureishi, which deals with a mixed race protagonist named Karim Amir and his life and relationships. Karim defines himself as having “emerged from two old histories” and he also refers to himself as “an englishman born and bred...almost”. But how does Kureishi use setting and character to show that Karim has an almost undefined personality when he is not in a relationship? To show the difficulties that Karim has in coming to terms with his own identity one can study the plot, setting, and characterisation. Karim has a very mixed up racial identity, calling himself “an englishman born and bred...almost”. His nickname is Creamy, because his mixed parentage of an Indian father and a British mother has left him with a different skin colour to all of his friends and relatives. He is neither Indian or British in his own mind, he is just Karim. His end character is very different to the character he portrays at the start of the novel, this is mainly due to the fact he has grown up and is finally seeing the world as it is, not how it should be. Karim has many sexual encounters with both men and women, starting with the relationship he has with Charlie. Charlie is characterised by Kureishi as a heart breaker, as he neglects Karim, “neither [phoning] since [their] last love making nor [bothering] to turn up.” Charlie’s only goal in life is to become a famous rock star. He succeeds in this and ends up moving to New York with his punk band under the pseudonym Charlie Zero. Charlie often tells Karim what to wear, while his mother tells Karim what to listen to. Karim’s relationship is based upon love on Karim's part and greed on Charlie’s part. Charlie believes deeply in the teachings of Karim’s father Haroon and so to get closer to that power he sleeps with Karim. There is no real care about Charlie. He is willing to let Karim touch his penis, but turns his own face away when Karim goes to kiss him. This may be Charlie trying to compensate as he knows what they are doing is seen as wrong, but he has his eyes shut so perhaps this makes everything all right. And with his eyes shut, it does not have to be Karim making him aroused, it could be anyone. in that way Charlie does what he has to to get where he needs to be, but he does not have to take notice of what is going on.

Karim’s relationship with Eleanor is totally different. Karim feels he is trapped by the ghost of Eleanor’s past lovers and almost wishes he had not embarked in this relationship. Eleanor loves Karim, but you get the feeling this is because he is so different to everything she has known before. She does not love him in the conventional sense, but in her own way.

Karim finally settles on a career about half way through the book, which happens to be as an actor. This is an odd choice as in most Indian families it is seen as a disgrace that ones son or daughter would be an actor/actress. But perhaps Karim felt it was justified as he is not Indian, but Indo-British and also because his father has become so much a character of himself, and also had an affair, that shame has already been brought upon their family and there is nothing to do but make it worse. While working as an actor he is asked to play “ethnic” roles, to fake a broad Indian accent and be authentically Indian, although he has never been to India. His director Shadwell is forever reminding him that he has “been cast for authenticity and not for experience”.

Over all this novel deals with the harder aspects of everyone’s teenage years, while introducing the concept of how to come to terms with sexuality, heritage and personality.
Kureishi suggests it’s ok to make mistakes, so long as we can aknowledge the fact they have been made.