Exploring Racial Identity and Hybridity in “The Buddha of Suburbia”

by | May 22, 2024 | literature

If you never read the book before: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-buddha-of-suburbia
Final Paper: Length: 5-6 pages
Peer Feedback: May 13, 2024 (Optional)
Final paper Due: May 21, 2024 (by noon in my office)
Spring 2024
Requirements: 2-3 academic articles/literary criticism on the novel Buddha of Suburbia. These articles MUST be from scholarly journals and at least 8-10 pages long. You will use the MLA method of documentation throughout the paper.
This is a paper driven by outside literary criticism and research and hence I cannot give you a topic for this paper. You will have to choose a topic for your paper, and then incorporate the academic articles you have found to write a paper that is critical, organized, and focused. Your objective will be to design a paper that uses both the primary source (i.e., the novel) and the secondary sources (written about the novel) effectively together to write a coherent paper. You must provide proper context (historical, cultural, socio-political etc.) along with your arguments and critical interventions to provide a new lens through which we can begin to see the novel in question.
Some of the potential themes (and there are many others) running through the veins of both these texts are:
· Coming of age
· Love, Marriage, Infidelity
· Racial Identity in Post Imperial London
· Racism
· Hybridity
· City versus Suburbs
· Representation of “The English” versus the Immigrants
· Class consciousness/Class warfare
· Sexual Rebellion/Experimentation
· Breaking of the nuclear family structures
· Generational Conflicts as witnessed by Karim and Jamila
· Transgression and Perversity
· Representations of power and masculinity

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Sample Answer

Sample Answer

 

Exploring Racial Identity and Hybridity in “The Buddha of Suburbia”

Introduction

Hanif Kureishi’s novel, “The Buddha of Suburbia,” delves into the complexities of racial identity and hybridity in post-imperial London. Through the protagonist Karim’s journey of self-discovery, the novel navigates themes of cultural assimilation, societal expectations, and the clash between different cultural identities. This paper aims to analyze how Kureishi explores racial identity and hybridity in the novel, shedding light on the challenges faced by immigrants and their descendants in a changing society.

Thesis Statement

In “The Buddha of Suburbia,” Hanif Kureishi intricately weaves a narrative that examines the nuances of racial identity and hybridity, portraying the struggles and triumphs of characters caught between multiple cultural worlds.

Historical and Cultural Context

To understand the significance of racial identity and hybridity in the novel, it is essential to consider the historical context of post-imperial London in the 1970s. The aftermath of colonialism, coupled with waves of immigration, created a diverse cultural landscape where individuals grappled with questions of belonging and identity. Kureishi’s own background as a second-generation immigrant informs his portrayal of characters like Karim, who navigate the complexities of their mixed heritage in a society marked by prejudice and discrimination.

Analysis of Themes

Coming of Age and Racial Identity

Karim’s coming-of-age journey serves as a lens through which Kureishi explores the challenges of reconciling one’s racial identity with societal expectations. As Karim navigates his dual heritage, he grapples with issues of self-acceptance and belonging, highlighting the internal struggles faced by many individuals with multicultural backgrounds.

Hybridity and Cultural Assimilation

The concept of hybridity emerges as a central theme in the novel, reflecting the blending of different cultural influences within characters like Karim. Through interactions with diverse characters and settings, Kureishi portrays the fluidity of identity and the ways in which individuals negotiate their hybrid identities in a multicultural society.

Racism and Cultural Conflict

The novel also confronts issues of racism and cultural conflict, depicting the tensions that arise between “the English” and immigrant communities. Kureishi exposes the prejudices and stereotypes that shape interactions between different racial groups, shedding light on the systemic barriers faced by marginalized communities in a post-colonial society.

Critical Interventions

Drawing on scholarly articles and literary criticism, this paper will analyze how Kureishi’s narrative techniques and character development contribute to the exploration of racial identity and hybridity in “The Buddha of Suburbia.” By engaging with critical perspectives on post-colonial literature and immigrant experiences, this paper aims to provide a fresh interpretation of the novel’s themes and motifs.

Conclusion

“The Buddha of Suburbia” offers a compelling exploration of racial identity and hybridity, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of cultural assimilation and belonging. Through nuanced character portrayals and insightful commentary on societal dynamics, Kureishi crafts a narrative that resonates with themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and the enduring quest for identity in a diverse world.

 

 

 

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