An Analysis of the Issues on Class Hierarchy and Popular Culture - Book Report/Review Example

The Buddha of Suburbia: An Analysis of the Issues on Hierarchy and Popular Culture Introduction Literary works are expressions of not only of the emotions and points of view of the author but also the capture of a piece of history. Regardless of the style, may it be fiction or non-fiction, prose or poetry, analysis of the content especially the implied can be considered as the treasures of literature. One of the literary works of the modern era which had earned the recognition is The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi. It is a critically acclaimed literary prose on the basis of the fact that it was able to convey messages and meanings through the lines and hit the readers with intensity. The paper is aimed to analyse the different issues that the said literary work discussed with the focus on the view of class hierarchy and popular culture. To be able to achieve the main objective, it is important to include pertinent issues such as the point of view and background of the author, the content and plot of the book and the interpretation of the different concept tackled. The discussion on the socio-political issues specifically the class hierarchy and popular culture then follows. The Buddha in Suburbia in Focus The Novel The Buddha of Suburbia is debut novel of Hanif Kureishi which was first published in 1990. It is a recognized literary work that tackles the cultural issues related to races, classes and popular culture. The plot tells a story of Karim Amir and the issues, adventures and hardships encountered by a person with biracial origin in contemporary Britain, specifically the 70’s.1 Although the said situation is presently considered common in the rise of the one nation view, biracial heritage in the time when the book was written is an important topic, even considered as an advanced issue to discuss for its time.2 This issue can also be related to the different socio-cultural issues that are touched and tapped by the literary piece. Basically, there are issues simultaneously presented by the book through the life of the main character. These includes the British culture in London during the time, the language, the diversity of culture and the convergence of different traditions and practices that can lead both ways, either good or bad. It is also the time wherein cultural equality in the country is such a necessity, that even the government is struggling to be able to appease the people.3 Like any other teenager, Karim wanted to escape from the life he has with his family in the suburban area in the south of London. He is dreaming to take his chance in the city. But the reputation of his father and the respect that he has for him keeps him from leaving. His father is referred to as ‘the buddha of suburbia’ based on his ways and habits specifically in meditation and the extra-ordinary impression he can leave to others.4 The main turning point in the life of the main character is when his father, Haroon, abandoned the family to be with one of his followers, Eva. After the said event, different occurrences that can be considered as eye-openers on the experiences of a ‘multiracial’ youth in the British society with the effects of the situations in the conditions in England during that time such as the pop or popular culture.5 These events are intertwined with the character’s problematic immediate family. The title of the novel can be considered as an ironic representation of the different issues that the author wanted to present. It can be observed that there is even a subdued anger in the plot due to the very opposing characters presented by the main character’s father, a religious man for others but a problem for his family due to his sexual affairs outside his marriage.6 The exploration of issues such as this in vivid and uncensored confidence can be considered as one of the reasons, the novel had been considered almost frightening. One important feature of the novel by Kureishi is the use of unique language. The colloquial lines of the characters are considered to have an influential effect in terms of the capture of reality in the plot. Also because of the manner the story is presented, the book gained both critics and advocates. The group that advocates the book appreciates the bare and poignant manner the author presented the story. On the other hand, there are groups that criticised the presentation as brutally uncensored. In the end though, the recognition that the book has achieved can be considered as a proof that the message of the author went though well to the literary authorities.7 Another characteristic of the book that had contributed to its effect as a piece of subdued reality is the manner of presentation. It had been considered to be presented in a collage of events depicting the main character’s experiences. These events are arranged on the basis of the chronology in time of occurrence, thus, also described as autobiographical. This observation is also based on the parallelism of the story and the character of Karim to the experiences of the author.8 The Author The author Hanif Kureishi is born in 1954 with biracial background. His mother is English and his father is Asian, thus, it can be considered that he had wrote his life through Karim Amir, the main character of the book. The character’s struggle to be a part of the city which he considered more influential than being in the suburban community is comparable to the experiences of the author in terms of his artistic, cultural and social quests. With his well-rooted passion to elevate his heritage, both the British and the Pakistani parts, he strived to put the message through. 9 Kureishi’s writing ability can be considered very evident regardless of the fact that The Buddha of Suburbia is his first novel. His capability to highlight the main thoughts and views can be considered highly effective. This had been done through the observed use of imaginative and abstract words that depicts his aspirations. The combination of this ability with the realism in the presentation of the characters and the story can be considered as the effective combination that brought about success for the literary work.10 In an interview with the author, he described his voice as a writer as a relevant one that can be influenced and inspired by the different events and factors around him. This capability to create a story in the random collection of events in the surroundings can only be practiced by a writer that thrived in the post modern era.11 Analysis of the Social and Cultural Issues in the Novel The objective of the literary work of Kureishi to have an imprint in terms of the exploration of social and cultural issues can be considered as the reason for the success of the novel to convey the message to the readers. For this reason, the book had been known to discuss different social issues such as class hierarchy and popular culture. From the first paragraph, the satirical technique of the author can already be observed. Although this is the case the issues are presented in a light manner. By being a biracial in descent, the main character Karim was able to boldly describe how he is feeling about his status and role in the English community. Partly English in blood and born in the country, he expressed that he is not proud to be an Englishman. Even in the very first paragraph, the author was able to raise questions and stir feelings of the readers.12 Basically, Kureishi is known for the exploration of the multicultural issues that makes the people conscious of the identity of the nation and the path that it is taking.13 The Issues on Class Hierarchy Any society at some point in history had faced and even continuously facing the problems related to a hierarchical social and cultural interaction. From the very evident caste system to less pronounced and less structured financial segregation in the present era, there is a continuous struggle in terms of the hierarchy of the different social groups and classes. In a research that was conducted it had been recognized that there is a very limited presentation of the lower middle class with such realism as that of Kureishi’s view. The lower middle class can be considered as the as most accessible group on the view of the pubic. The Buddha of Suburbia is a successful representation of the issues and problems being faced by members of lower classes because the leaders fail to observe and give them attention. 14 In the work of Hanif Kureishi, he focused on the need to accept the difference between nationalism and the reality of the multiracial society. This can be attributed to the fact that nationalism can be translated by certain groups in the society as the need to alienate people of other race, specifically those of multiracial origins on the notion that only white people can be deemed as English. The said view is impossible to coincide with the modern era which is a commencement and conversion of different races, groups and nationalities.15 In the plot of novel, the author was able to depict the division in the different groups and classes in the society. He connected different factors in the society and culture as a basis for division such as race, economic status, political view and religious beliefs.16 One of the important views in the different literary works of Kureishi is the need for acceptance of the multicultural and multiracial nation. This can be attributed to the fact that nationalism can be equated to traditionalism. These concepts can be viewed as going back to the old times. For the nation to grow, it needs to evolve and accept the fact that a multiracial and multicultural society can be translated to the future of the nation. In his novel, the author described the characters to have extravagant physical appearances and ‘dos’ but they still belong to the lower middle class, the main focus of the story. Kureishi stressed that although other factors are recognized to be bases of segregation of the masses into groups and classes, but cultural origins and descents cannot be one of them.17 The author expressed that the people who needs to determine the meaning of being British are the white British themselves who had failed to see the new meaning of the culture. There are different symbolisms in the novel that can be compared to the classes and divisions in the society. One is the evident differences in terms of the culture and way of life between the suburban locality where Karim, the main character came from and the city of London. Although very adjacent to each other, the two places can be gauged to be on the opposing ends.18 This is only one of the examples that can be cited. There are numerous events in the novel that depicted the hierarchy and divisions in the British nation during the said era. The people that Karim interacted in the theatre are representatives of different social status. Welshman Terry is from the working class but can be considered an equal in terms of passion in arts as Eleanor, Karim’s lover, who belongs to the upper middle class. She is one of the most interesting characters in the story since she feels more at ease around people of the working class, thus, she pretends to be one of them.19 Basically, the events in the book and that of the real setting in London cannot be encapsulated by a single concept since the trend that had occurred during the said era is a convergence of complex factors of socio-cultural origins. The most important concept in focus though which can be considered to continuously rise up is the identity of the people in London during that time. The conflicts and struggles related to classes and status can be considered as a result of the questionable cultural identity of the people. This is the reason why the author stressed the need to re-evaluate the cultural definition and upgrade from the traditional point of view that is limited to the white British people. When this is accomplished, the author perceived that the negative issues can subside which is beneficial especially for people with mixed racial lineage. The Issues on Popular Culture Popular culture is another important issue tackled by the author in the novel The Buddha of Suburbia. The said concept is a fundamental subject matter in Kureishi’s novel. This can be attributed to the fact that pop or popular culture can also be one of the bases of the division and segregation in terms of classes. For that matter the two issues of class hierarchy and popular culture are interrelated and interconnected in the highly diverse British culture.20 One example of the role of popular culture in the novel is the use of different places, landmarks and locations that can be through the plot and the story that are identifiable to the different classes. With these indications, other factors such as way of life, fashion trends and even music can be visualized.21 In the plot, it can be observed that the main character Karim always seems to revolve around the latest fashion. In the social context, fashion trends can be equated to hierarchical status.22 Based on the fact that he is of mixed descent, there is a continuous aspiration and need to blend in the ‘in’ and hip crowd. Aside from fashion and style of clothing, there are other concepts that can be included in the popular culture. Music, which is one of the most influential components in interpersonal interaction, had also been expressed by the author as an important component of popular culture. He conveyed in different parts of the novel the sound of London. It is a sort of soundtrack of how he pictures and perceives the city in his head.23 Due to the convergence of the different cultures and races in the city, one can imagine a multitude of sounds that comprise the soundtrack of London. If one type of popular music serves as a representative of a particular social or cultural issue, a massive assembly of sounds can be heard specifically since the 70’s era is the ultimate time for the rebellious popular culture specifically in London. The popular culture is composed of the different trends, activities, hobbies and concepts continuously used by the society in a particular point in time. By determining and studying popular culture at a particular era, the social and cultural conditions can be analysed. Conclusion Based on the study of the novel The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi, an understanding of the piece of history in one of the most diverse cities of the world, London had been achieved. Through the different issues presented in the plot related to the character of a multiracial person’s growth in such an environment created a chance to learn about the concepts of class hierarchy in such a modern setting as well as popular culture which can be considered as the blood of the young generation and a tool for coping to the stress of fitting in. Through the course of the story, the lessons in cultural and social identity served as the answer to the doubts and conflicts brought about by issues such as class hierarchy and popular culture. Bibliography Carson, Bruce and Margaret Llewellyn-Jones, Frames and fictions on television: the politics of identity within drama (Intellect Books, 2000). Felski, Rita, 2000, ‘Nothing to declare: Identity, shame, and the lower middle class’, PMLA, vol. 115, p.33. Kaleta, Kenneth C., Hanif Kureishi: postcolonial storyteller (University of Texas, 1998). Kureishi, Hanif, The Buddha of Suburbia (Penguin, 1991). Yousaf, Nahem, Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of suburbia: a reader’s guide (New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2002). Read More