Wider Reading Links Flashcards
Joyce’s Eveline and Otuska’s Buddha in the Attic.
=> Both utilise arranged marriages as ways to migrate and move.
Khadivi’s A Good Country.
=> The protagonist, Alireza becomes judged on his name and skin colour as an object of suspicion after the terror incidents.
Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby.
=> Represents ideas of the American Dream, and how US was initially seen as a place of hope and success.
Ali’s Brick Lane
=> The protagonist Nazneen struggles with the completely different life of London, such as crossing streets.
Hamid’s Exit West.
=> Explores the push factors why people may leave, including war and a militant rule.
=> Attitudes of host countries, hostile to immigrants: they discover the ‘magic doors’ and try to reduce the number of refugees coming in.
Selvon’s Lonely Londoners.
=> Influence of media projection of Immigrant experience: “Whatever the newspaper and radio say in this country, that is the people Bible.”
Mo’s Sour Sweet.
=> Solidarity of immigrants: He gets regularly undercharged by the west Indian conductor.
=> Feeling an outsider: Not by others, but through one’s own perspective. “No one had yet assaulted, insulted, so much as looked twice at him.”
Toibin’s Brooklyn.
=> Longing for the past: Feels much homesickness when reading the letters from her family members.
=> Loneliness/ Helplessness: Eilis feels alone and detached after moving, with no family and friends to rely on.
Naipul’s The Enigma of Arrival.
=> Reflective/ has assimilated: Someone who is reflective of his experiences, clearly has accepted where he is now in England on the Wiltshire estate.
=> Success: Seems to have achieved relative success, despite having ‘glory dead’ expectations to start off with, now has been pursuing a literary career for 20 years.
Joyce’s Eveline (No.2)?
=> Familial expectations V desire for freedom: Gender expectations to take care of family. / Keep the family together. V Desire to escape, in her case with Frank. Conflict between this.
