Analyse af Bobby Nayyars novelle 'Hollywood'

Around the world, numerous cultures and religions are being practiced day in day out and the different ways of approaching life are truly diverse. That being said, a handful of western metropolises have succeeded in establishing a diversity of lifestyles within the same society e.g. London where a term as multiculturalism is genuinely the definition of the big city. But in spite of all the great things this city has accomplished in unison, it has not been without consequences as some people might feel at sea on their path of self-discovery in this big melting pot. This is the most central theme of Bobby Nayyar’s short story “Hollywood” (2010), where we follow the young guy Tarsem’s attempt to balance all the different things in life while figuring out his own role in society.

The short story widely explores the character of Tarsem through the first-person narration and it is therefore quite straightforward to characterize him, having access to his thoughts and feelings. Tarsem comes across as a depressed guy, on the verge of being despaired, as a result of his current state in life: “Every second Tuesday I would go to the Jobcentre Plus on Mayes Road and sign on. No university course prepares you for that feeling” (p. 2, ll. 17-18). The consistent visits to the job center do not exactly add up to his expectations for finishing university and in addition to this, his parents are exerting pressure for him to get a job and move along with his life. The mother is treating him like a child and is determined to attend his every need while the dad is so embarrassed that he will not even offer his son an employment at his workplace. Furthermore, this difference in parenting continues when Tarsem meets the young woman Sae; the mother almost comes across as his chaperone, controlling his actions and tells right from wrong, “…you go upstairs and take a shower. When you come back down, you’re getting married…” (p. 6, ll. 160-161), whereas the father is just excited about the son’s accomplishment and finally opens up to him. Besides the relation to his parents, another huge affiliation in the story is the relationship between him and Sae. It functions as a revelation for Tarsem, seeing that Sae stepped into his life at its lowest point and sort of changed his perception of himself. In the beginning of their affair, he did not know what to do with his existence: “I just can’t seem to find a path” (p. 5, l. 111). He has a university degree but is constantly neglecting the true calling in his life; poetry. That is until Sae makes an ultimatum, stating that the only way to win her heart is by following his dreams and write a poem, to her. This is obviously a big turning point in his life as he finally abandons the expectations of his parents and society, expresses himself through the art of poetry as well as actually sharing this piece with another person.