Buddha Of Suburbia Analysis

The Buddha of Suburbia is a modern bildungsroman, or in other words ‘novel of formation’, ‘novel of education’ or ‘coming-of-age novel’. This work which was first created as a novel and later on adapted as a miniseries, illustrates young Karim’s journey towards self-discovery. Not only can we see Karim developing as an individual, but his father Haroon as well. In The Buddha of Suburbia, we see the mind and character of the protagonist Karim develop, as he moves from childhood to adulthood. Karim begins to discover his identity and role in the world through various experiences and crises he goes through spiritually. When it comes to Haroon, we see his character changing several times throughout The Buddha of Suburbia and one that takes on
In New York, Karim goes under a number of revelations and this is where he escapes the immigrant condition he finds himself in. His love affair with Eleanor and his relationship with Pyke reach an ending when he finally realizes the true meaning of relationships and acknowledges that he does not fit in their world. In The Buddha of Suburbia, the city is portrayed as a place filled with opportunity and chance. In respect to this, two cities are important, London and New York. To Karim, London is waiting to be conquered. In London, Karim obtains his new ‘education’ in the theatre world; and also where he finds real love. When Karim goes to New York, he is once again faced with leaving his home and well-known surroundings. By physically distancing himself from London, he isolates himself from the stereotypes which living in Britain forced upon him. This distance from home gives him space to discover new sides to
At the beginning of the novel, Karim discovers his father’s unfaithfulness and witnesses his parents’ separation. He tells his mother that he will never get married and since she is dissatisfied in her marriage, does not attempt to dissuade him. In these two works, different types of marriages and family structures are being presented. These marriages include conventional marriage, arranged marriage, mixed race families and open marriages. By these types of marriages and families being viewed in this perspective, it could be said to act as a metaphor for the changes that took place in family life during the 1970’s, the time setting of the novel. Marriage symbolizes the social contract that the individual makes with society, which is no longer controlled by social rules, but rather driven by