LITERATURE ASSINGMENT:
ANALYSIS OF SHORT STORY:

1) MY SON THE FANATIC:

“My son the fanatic” is written by Hanif Kureshi which portrays a relationship between father and son in context of argument.
The story deals with the problems of a father, named Parvez, who is an emigrant of Pakistan to Britain. He has a son named Ali. Parvez worries about his son as he thinks that Ali’s behavior has changed significantly. Parvez wanted to discuss about this behavior of his son with his friends but he is afraid of discussing his worries with his friends because his son was known for his sincerity in front of his friends. Eventually, Parvez breaks his silence and tells them how his son has changed, hoping to receive some advice from his friends. After having a short conversation with his friends, his friends advise him that his son might be addicted to drugs. After this meeting, Parvez goes to his taxi to drive home with Bettina, a prostitute, whom Parvez drops to her clients very often and even drops her back home. Once Parvez has defended Bettina from a client who had attacked her that is the reason they take care of each other. Parvez tells Bettina what he has observed and that he and his friends assume that his son does all these strange things because he is drug addicted. Bettina advise Parvez to find out if there is anything physically wrong with his son. However, after a few days of observations Parvez comes to a conclusion that his son appears totally healthy. The only physical change Parvez can observe is that Ali is growing a beard now. Even his son gives every thing he has got without selling it. Parvez even notice that his son prays “Namaz” five times without being brought up in a religious way.
Parvez decides to invite his son for dinner to have a conversation with him about the things which is happenings since last few days. Initially, Ali refuses this invitation, but later he goes out for dinner with his father. Parvez drinks a lot during this meeting and even orders pork and they start to argue. Ali criticizes his father’s way of life because in his opinion his father is "too implicated in Western civilization" and even his father had broken the rule of “kuran” by eating pork. Ali explains to his father that he is going to give up his studies because from his point of view, “Western Education cultivates an anti-religious attitude.” After this evening Parvez feels as if he had lost his son. Parvez could not take this any more so he wanted to tell him to leave the house. But Bettina tries to change his mind. Parvez tried to understand what is going on in his son’s mind. The very next days Parvez tries to explain to his son what his ideas and attitudes towards life are. But Ali still annoyed on his father for not following the rules of the “Kuran”. A few days later while Parvez is driving in his taxi with Bettina he sees his son near a mosque. Parvez asks Ali to come in as Bettina requests him. In the car, Bettina starts to have a conversation with Ali, but as she tries to explain to Ali that his father loves him very much; Ali becomes angry and offends Bettina. Afterwards he wants to escape from the car, but Bettina tries to make him understand him. She leaves the car when it is still moving and runs away. Parvez drinks a lot of alcohol after returning home because he is very angry on his son after this incident. After a while he walks into Ali’s room and attacks his son who does not show any kind of reaction to protect or defend himself. As Parvez stops hitting him, Ali asks his father: "Who is the fanatic now?"


DEBASMITA.BARDHAN
ROLL NO. 03