Englisch-LK Homework

February 10, 2014Englisch-LK Homework

Father-son relationshipsIn movies we always see the role of a father as a dDisciplinarian or as the aAudience, who comes home after the mother has given their children love and care and has to listen and discipline (judge) his children if they did something wrong. In Within this perspective the father's function is only economic. He has to make money, so he is often measured by how well he provides.But I am convinced that this should not be the only role of a father to his children (son). He should also offer protection, provision, nurturing and modeling. I would suggest that he should become Father the Nurturer rather than just Father the Provider. The son always aims to become good enough to be considered a man. He wants to reach his father, so the father should let him know that his interests, hobbies and passion are pleasing to him. Moreover, the son should know that his father is proud of him and also should let him know that that his father is pleased with him for who he is not for what he does or does not do. He should be able to live in peace and in cooperation with his community. Some people claim that children are obligated to give something back to their families but in my opinion the love of parents should be abiding and unconditional, so their relationship should not be about give and take. Furthermore, it should be of major importance to establish a community at home that includes all family members with their different interests and values.It would be bad if a father followed the clich shown in movies and only focus on providing money and disciplining his children because children need love and care from both parents not only from their mother.Very good! Keen oberservations!

CharacterizationThe story My son the Fanatic is about the relationship between Parvez and his son Ali. Firstly the story begins with Parvez not being not able to understand the sudden changes of his son, so Parvez consults Bettina, a prostitute who seems like a friend for him, about his problems and they set up their drug theory. They are being suspicious of Ali being a drug addict. Later this theory is proven wrong because he finds his son praying. Then after an inadequate conversation with Ali, we are convinced that he is a religiousn extremist or shares thoughts that resemble the ones of an extremist. Meanwhile Ali and his father clash with each other because Ali tries to teach his father of to be a better Muslim/ person and he will not out upput up with it. Afterwards Parvez even thinks of pleasing Ali by praying but in the end abandons this idea. Eventually he thinks of giving his son up but because Bettina of convinces him not to, he still does not give up the ides idea of supporting his son. After meeting Bettina, Ali provokes his father by insulting her so Parvez gives up his son and uses violence against him. As a result Parvez has lost (relationship to) his son.

In the following I am going to characterize the father-son relationship between Parvez and Ali.There are two major characters in the story. I am convinced that Parvez must be the protagonist because he is linked to both Ali and Bettina. Also the reader only learns Alis and feelings from his fathers perspective. There are only a few dialogues with Ali and we never get to knowlearn his personal thoughts from the narrator.I would like to start with the characteristic features of Ali. Ali was born in England as the son of immigrants from Punjabi. Bettina describes Ali as good-looking (p.129; l.22) and moreover she thinks that he resembles his father but with a more determined face (p.129; l.30). We are also get to knowinformed that Ali excelled at cricket, swimming and football (p.120; l.21) and that he is also an attentive scholar (p.120; l.22). But Ali stops doing sports and parts from his English girlfriend and also stops seeing his old friends. It seems like he has changed his lifestyle. He also has started praying and his thoughts differ from that of his father.Comment by Anna: what does this mean? here you can drwa a conclusion from an outside observationComment by Anna: what does this symbolise? Comment by Anna: In which respects? Is there a quote to support your point?Parvez is a taxi driver who works at night to avoid his wife (cf. p.120 l.8ff) so his relationship with his wife must cannot be that well. He claims that in the past he and his son were like brothers. He has known Bettina for three years.Comment by Anna: must not: darf nichtComment by Anna: quote?Do you believe him?In the story we get to see their father-son relationship while their they are having problems because Ali has changed and Parvez does not like these changes. In At the beginning of the story we see a father trying to seek clues (p.119; l.3) or you could even say spying on his own son. My first thought on this was what an awful father this could be. So the author indicates the reader one of the major problems in their relationship. This would be that the father does not see the need to consult his son and build conduct a conversation with him rather he pries behind his sons back.Parvez thinks that he provided his son with everything he needed but he doesnt realize that he only provided in economic ways and that his he needs more than that from his father (cf. p.119; l.23ff). Actually I think Parvez should have been glad that his son is not a drug addict but somehow an extremist because if he had been a drug addict it would have been too difficult to help his son. Although it is not really preferable to be an extremist but I think that it is easier to change a persons thoughts then than his body because Ali must not be in such an extreme way a Muslim. He could also have a normal not exaggerated way of religion. Parvez from the start never tried to understand his son he was only obsessed with finding a way out of his sons situation and he was only trying to persuade himself that he had no fault (cf. p.120; l.15f). For me it is obvious that he does not really supports his son but rather himself. Besides he is always from the behavior of his son he is so occupied in seeing himself as the victim of his son's behaviour and his son as the villain (p.124; l.25). I believe that Ali wished for his father to understand him because for example he says to his father that he should pray with him (Pray besides me /p.126; l.23). He could have ignored his father but he does not do it and in religions praying is a good thing (deed), so he does not want to harm his father. But on the other hand, his father harms him by using violence after he felt provoked. It is also rather interesting if one tries to pay attention how the father reacts or behaves in front of his son. He himself seems to have big problems; then he is just like an alcoholic every time he has to deal with the problems of his son he drinks in a really excessive way (went more to the whisky bottle p.120; l.3) (cf. p.124; l.18 & l.31/ p.125; l.2ff). What really concerns me are the last words of Ali in the story So who is the fanatic now (p.131; l.89). His father became violent in the end and harmed his son but Ali might have been a fanatic but did not harm anyone. So Parvez found no solution to their problem (but in my opinion a good conversation and support would have been a good solution) and he lost himself and his son.Comment by Anna: do you mean "nicht sein drfen" oder nicht sein mssen? nicht mssen "not necessarily has to be"Comment by Anna: you need a real quotation hereComment by Anna: real quote pleaseComment by Anna: be more precise on this! This a very good observation!Comment by Anna: yet...Why do you think Parvez assumes his son to be a "fanatic"? Why does this scare him?Good job, well done! Only small parts need a more detailed analysis (and then it is very good!)

East is East or My son the fanaticI liked East is East more because there were problems because of their father but they still had their mother's and siblings' support support; but Ali has only himself and neither he or his father know realise that they are in the wrong. Ali has no one other than but Parvez to help him. All hardship they experience in the movie lead to them trying to solve their problems in some way, but in the story both ignore each other and make false decisions. In my opinion all the illustrated problems in both the movie and the story could be solved if they would buildhad a conversation and tried to understand each other.