2. Consider the following words: adulterer -alcohol - beliefs - devotion - drugs - gambling - jihad - the Koran - mullah - Muslim - Paradise - prostitute.
How can we use these words to characterize Ali and Parvez? Furthermore, understand their different ways of living and reactions?
- In what ways do they differ in terms of how they look upon women and life in general?
- Why has Ali decided to become a practising Muslim?
- Why does Parvez hit Ali at the end of the story?
3. Discuss message and intention.
1. What themes does this short story present?
ReplyDeleteDrugs, teenage life, The Koran, Pakistan, Alcohol, To fit in, Jihad, Islam, England, Cultivating, Muslims, Cults, Criticism, Philosophy of life, Beliefs, Life in all its stats
2. Consider the following words: adulterer -alcohol - beliefs - devotion - drugs - gambling - jihad - the Koran - mullah - Muslim - Paradise - prostitute.
How can we use these words to characterize Ali and Parvez? Furthermore, understand their different ways of living and reactions? Parvez likes England and all the opportunities that the country has to offers. Ali is a real Muslim and lives his life after The Koran only.
• In what ways do they differ in terms of how they look upon women and life in general? Ali thinks very little about women and everybody how is not a Muslim and living after The Koran. Parvez is unprejudiced and open-minded about the new country and think that both men and women should live as they want to.
• Why has Ali decided to become a practising Muslim? Because he thinks that it is a better and cleaner way of living, and he thinks that it is the only right way of living.
• Why does Parvez hit Ali at the end of the story? He hits Ali in the end of the story because he knows that he is unreachable, and he just wants him to understand what is right and what is wrong.
3. Discuss message and intention.
What is the right way or the wrong way to live?? How fanatic should we be and when are we to much of a fanatic?? Is there a golden middle way between being a Muslim and living in England??
Parvez has at some point decided to live in England, and he has taken a choice to live in the western culture. He was brought up as a Muslim, but nevertheless he rejects his own upbringing because he wants something else in life. His son Ali however has not chosen a life in the west, and he is, very similar to Parvez, turning against his background, his western life, by becoming a Muslim. It is very common for children to turn against their parents when they reach a certain age. The problem especially with boys, who all of a sudden turn very religious and fanatic, is that they are a big problem for the society if they are reacting violently.
ReplyDeleteMartin
Theme could be muslim immigrants in Great Britain and the relationship between father and son.
ReplyDeleteAli and Parvez have different beliefs. While Parvez finds joy in having adjusted to his new country and takes the rules of being a Muslim very lightly, his son Ali finds comfort in becoming a Muslim and actually despises living in England. He prays and reads the Koran. Islam sees the West as a sink of adulterers, alcohol, drugs, gambling and prostitutes, Parvez' friendship with a prostitute obviously clashes with his son's beliefs. Ali is willing to sacrifice his life for jihad and get rewarded in Paradise. Parvez does not understand this. He loves the fact that there is so much freedom in the west, the same fact turned Ali to Islam. Through hard work as a taxi driver Parvez wanted to give his son the best education, so Ali could get a better live. Ali however, has given up his education because it cultivates an anti-religious attitude. Maybe you could say that Parvez sees pleasures in living in the UK, whereas Ali sees them as sins.
At the end of the story Parvez hits Ali because he sees no other way to reach his son.
2. Consider the following words: adulterer -alcohol - beliefs - devotion - drugs - gambling - jihad - the Koran - mullah - Muslim - Paradise - prostitute.
ReplyDeleteThis word describes how different Pavez and Ali are: The on are against and believe in, and the other is free and acceptances all kind of human and don’t believe so much in religions.
Ali`s father Parvez is from Pakistan and Muslim, many people think that all Muslims are the same, and the religion Islam is the same for all Muslim. That they won’t to have that all people in the word respect the religion and believe in the Koran. The father is a example on that kind of immigrant and human that respect the English culter and wont to be a part of it. All this word that is for bitten ore a shame, Parvez respects all kind of people and drinks alcohol, he just wont to be like everybody other.
Ali change suddenly, from a boy that his father is proud of, to an extreme Islamists. We don’t get any information, way Ali suddenly changes? The rezone can be something that hurt him and he change anger on the English culur ore he meet the wrong friends. Ali is a total different person from his father, he don’t accept free women ore alcohol. He believe only in Koran and what stands in that, and believe that he will come in paradise up to good, if he hurt people that are agents Islam and the Kuran. Ali thinks that it is a better and cleaner way of living, and he thinks that it is the only right way of living. Parvez hit Ali in the end of the story because he knows that he is unreachable and he just wants him to understand what is right and what is wrong, because he is older and know what he is speak about.
3. Discuss message and intention
We are all different and believe in different religions and live different. In the story are a father and son that believe in 2 different ways to live is the right way. Parvez is more mindedness and Ali is more extreme and violent. No on can change what is the right way or the wrong way to live?? We just need to understand each other way to live on, and no on is more perfect ore fantastic in other; we are all the same, just humans and deadly.
1. Themes in the story
ReplyDeleteTeenagers, immigrants, family life, family conflicts, prostitution, education, religion, alcohol, drugs,
2.
Ali: beliefs, devotion, jihad, the Koran, mullah, Muslim, Paradise.
Ali is a teenager who has changed his way of living. He has lived in England his whole life with his parents. His family is immigrants from Pakistan. Ali has studied to become an accountant, but has dropped his education; instead his is now focused on his religion. He has given away all of his belongings and has started growing a beard, which is common is with the Muslim society. He believes in Paradise.
Parvez: adulterer, alcohol, drugs, gambling, prostitute.
Parvez has moved from Pakistan to England. He has changed his way of living, so that he would fit in better in the English community. He works as a taxi driver. He is daily in an environment where adultery, alcohol, drugs, gambling and prostitutes is part of the normal day. Parvez do not follow the Muslim way of living. He drinks a lot.
Parvez has through his work as a taxi driver learnt a lot about people and how different we all are. He has accepted that women are independent and decides for themselves what they want to do. He his fine with the Western world’s women. Ali on the other hand has grown up with this way of thinking, but he has found more confidence through his religion and now lives by the Koran. He is therefore against the way that women dress.
Ali has started being a practicing Muslim because he thinks that he and his family no longer lives by the Law of Islam. That the family is no longer pure. He wants to go to Paradise. He is ashamed of the way his father lives.
I think that the reason for Parvez to hit Ali in the end of the story is because he is disappointed in himself. Parvez has realized that he is no longer lives as a good Muslim, and he will not go to Paradise. Ali has made this clear to him and Parvez is now angry that the son points this out to him. He is also hurt that his own son no longer respects him.
3.
The story tells us that there are different ways of living. These ways and religions are not always right for all people, but it does not mean that they are wrong either.
Is Ali a fanatic in your eyes? Can you understand why he chooses the way he does?
ReplyDeleteAli is trying to find his identity. He was brought up through the English school system and is viewed as a Pakistani by the English but is actually English, due to his upbringing. He has decided to embrace Islam, his ancestors culture as a way to give himself an identity.
ReplyDeleteI don't actually think that Ali is a fanatic, but is bordering on it, as he follows The Koran word for word and has contempt for all things western. He is definitely on his way to becoming one.
Parvez has been assimilated into the British way of life and can see the opportunities that it has to offer, especially for his son, which he didn't have growing up in Pakistan. He can pretty much do what he wants and isn't restricted by a strict religion.
I think that Ali insulting his friend - the prostitute, is the final straw and all the built up frustration comes out with Parvez hitting Ali.
1. What themes does this short story present?
ReplyDelete- Religion, culture, male role model, growing up, to be and not to be, identity
2. Consider the following words: adulterer -alcohol - beliefs - devotion - drugs - gambling - jihad - the Koran - mullah - Muslim - Paradise - prostitute.
How can we use these words to characterize Ali and Parvez? Furthermore, understand their different ways of living and reactions?
Ali: the son, become a dedicated Muslim, got very negative view about the West – for instance he says that the West is a adulteres, drug takers and prostitutes. He will be jihad, believe in Jihad, beliefs his farther in the ending→ Parves feels powerless against his son. He has his devotion to god and is also a gambler → excelled at cricket, swimming and football.
Parves: cabdriver, big admirer of the western civilization, has a prostitute named Bettina = She is his paradise, he is a drunker (use alcohol)
In what ways do they differ in terms of how they look upon women and life in general?
- Ali finds everything in the religion, which his father oppositely doesn’t do (Western).
Why has Ali decided to become a practising Muslim?
- because he found the important question in life in religion instead.
Why does Parvez hit Ali at the end of the story?
- because he become powerless and helpless. His son condemns his way of life. So Parvez loose his temper and behave like that.
3. Discuss message and intention.
- Is about how important the relationship between a father and son is. In this story we have who think he has is doing everything a father can do by providing money for his sons education. The father cant see/realize that it is not what he son wants. He son is basically just searching for love and care from his father – but the father works ten hours a day, so he cant give him that. So, his son finds the important question of his life in religion instead.
@Charmi and Dave, is he really just searching for love and care? or are we dealing with a fundemental problem of integration? You do not think the father would have worked ten hours if they would have been living in Pakistan?
ReplyDeleteI would also like to answer this.. :)
ReplyDeleteI think the guy is searching for love and care. Maybe not only that, but that is also one thing. The boy has become rootless and is therefore searching for something ( for instance love and care). The father has made him that because he likes the western culture more and more and therefore lives like an englishman. The father has no time for his son. He want of cause the best for him by paying money, but thats definitly not enough. Suddenly Ali asware of Islam and finds his identity --> his peace. He finds himself being superior to his father. So in that way the guy become a fanatic. Beside this, other themes of this story are integration and culture, which is also, is reflected through the whole novel. Ali and Parvez do not agree in many point and it all collapses in the end. The reason to that is the father’s behaviour. He is criticizing his son’ way of living (Western) and that brings his son in a complicated situa-tion. So you can also say that this deals with a fundemental problem of integration. Because the guy don’t know how to be integrated and he takes it to the extreme level…
1. What themes does this short story present?
ReplyDeletePride, rolemodels, growing up, religion, integration, life choices, parenting, identity, guidance.
2. Consider the following words: adulterer -alcohol - beliefs - devotion - drugs - gambling - jihad - the Koran - mullah - Muslim - Paradise - prostitute.
How can we use these words to characterize Ali and Parvez? Furthermore, understand their different ways of living and reactions?
Well, I rather agree with a lot of what people have been saying above; Ali turning to religion in an attempt of finding his roots, somewhere to belong as well as opposing his father and the choices his father made when deciding to live in the west. Parvez did choose to move to the west, but although he has decided to integrate (and as Dave says - assimilate) himself, then I actually don't think he's well adjusted either. He tries really hard to fit in, but is still viewed in the text as a stranger, I think.
Because he tries so hard it must also be rough to see Ali reject the things he considers good in life; Ali is disrespectful towards his fathers views and choices. Ali sees things very black and white, but Parvez, try as he may, cannot understand Ali either so they're stuck waving war at each other. In the end Parvez snaps and hits Ali in his frustration over his own helplessness as well as the way Ali rejects everything western - and with it his own father. To be rejected so definitively by someone you love ought to hurt.