'We're Not Jews' af Hanif Kureishi, analyse

The story has been written by Hanif Kureishi (1954 - ), an author born and raised in England by an English mother and a Pakistani father. Unlike his father, who tried to write his way out of discrimination and obscurity, and who was repeatedly rejected by publishers, Kureishi succeeded as an author. He got famous by writing novels, stories and plays dealing with the problems of race and identity in the English culture. In this story he has used his own background to create a realistic environment. The principal character, Azhar, has an English mother, and a Pakistani father. They live in a small flat with Azhar's sister, the grandfather and two uncles. Their home is described as overcrowded and poor (“the kitchen wallpaper bubbled and cracked and hung down like ancient scrolls” page 84, line 8 - 9) – something that many people would say, if they were asked to describe an immigrant's home. Azhar's father works as a packer in a factory that manufactures shoe polish, and so Azhar grows up in a working-class environment. The centre of his world is his mother, she gives him a lot of love, and protects him. He is not close to his father, since he has not got so much contact to the English part of Azhar's life. Azhar has also got problems understanding his father's world, both because of the linguistic barrier and the cultural difference. E.g. as Uncle Asif's wife comes to England she always walked several paces behind her husband (page 85, line 38 – 42). Azhar is not used to this, and does not understand why it is like that. Because of this his relationship to his mother is really close. She is overprotective, to such a degree that Azhar is not aware of the meaning of the word racism. But during this short story we are told how he becomes aware of racism. It starts with Billy, a classmate, bullying him. Soon others join Billy. Azhar feels that something is the matter with him, he feels ashamed. He does not want his parents to find out, because he is afraid of disappointing them. But eventually his mother notice the way he looks and acts when he returns from school - his despondency and dishevelled appearance. The mother does not take the 'pranks' serious, and advises Azhar to follow her example. She rejects the problems. But later on she understands that it more than just pranks. She went to the headmistress, and complained. The headmistress reacted by sharply informing Little Billy and his father, Big Billy, that she took a dim view on Billy bullying Azhar. As Azhar and his mother sits on the bus, Big and Little Billy gets on the bus, too.