My Son the Fanatic

My Son the Fanatic

Hanif Kureishi’s short story “My Son the Fanatic” is the story of two competing beliefs: Ali’s passion for anti western Islam, and his father Parvez’s dream of providing for his family. Both father and son have different views on how to live life, and the idea of religion. Kureishi explores issues of identity, religion, and a father’s love for his son. Parvez, an English Punjabi taxi driver, has adapted to a new way of life so much so that he eats pork, a forbidden food in Muslim religion. Parvez was very proud of his son, and his academic accomplishments and often talked about him to his colleagues. One day, Parvez was going through Ali’s things and notices a change in his room. Parvez initially fears that his son was hooked on drugs, but later finds out his son started studying the Koran. Parvez accepts him and was thrilled that he wasn’t on drugs, but tension rises when Ali begins criticizing his fathers habits.

Parvez seemingly has lived in Britain for nearly twenty years; he has greatly adapted to British culture and lived a happy and free life. He was born in Lahore where he was taught the Koran. In school “the Maulvi had attached a string to the ceiling and tied it to Parvez’ hair to stop him from falling asleep, while he was studying the Koran.” This most likely caused Parvez to turn away from his strict religion. Parvez was in no way the ideal Muslim man, he gambles, drinks, makes fun of religion, associates with prostitutes, and as previously stated loves pork. Although Parvez was not a good Muslim, he was good man, which his son failed to see. On more than one occasion he saved his friend Bettina, a prostitute, from a violent client. Although he might not have followed his religion to a T he had c...

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...t lips. So who’s the fanatic now?

Many people think of the word fanatic as someone who is extremely into something such as a religion, and in turn would only label Ali as the fanatic. However, both Parvez and Ali could be considered fanatics, at the end of the day neither father nor son were open minded about each other’s ideas. By Parvez trying to talk to his son at dinner it showed that at first he was open to see what his son was thinking, however, his sons criticism most likely turned him off from caring. Parvez most likely attacked his son because he couldn’t take being shut out, and disrespected. During the dinner Ali was very unwilling to listen to why his father did not follow his religion. At the end of the day neither of them were open to continue trying to fix their fractured relationship, they both wanted to stuff their beliefs down each other’s throat.