The Decline of the West
The Decline of the West
A. Write an essay in which you analyse and interpret Hanif Kureishi’s short story “The Decline of the West”. Part of your essay must focus on the short story’s point of view and on the title.
The western world keeps becoming richer and more focused on materialistic improvement. This happens at the expense of gratitude and respect for fellow human beings, and maybe particularly at the expense of a happy family life. In “The Decline of the West”, Hanif Kureishi gives an example of how capitalism and materialistic greed can almost ruin a family.
The main character in “The Decline of the West” is Mike, a hardworking man married to Imogen and with two children, Tom and Billy, Tom being the older one. The other less important persons introduced in the story is a Bulgarian au pair and Mike’s father. In the beginning of the short story, it is told that Mike comes home from work with bad news, he’s been fired. The sacking makes him reflect on the modern capitalistic western world. What really triggers his negative thoughts on capitalism, is when he looks at a 20£ note that inspires vanity and greed; “How had he never noticed what a sardonic little Mona Lisa smile the blinged-up monarch whore, mocking even, as if she pitied the vanity and greed the note inspired?” (T. 1, p. 2, lll. 37-39).
Hanif Kureishi’s “The Decline of the West” takes place in the United Kingdom. It doesn’t state that directly in the text, but due to the two facts that the money mentioned in the story is British and that Tom uses the expression “Bugger off”, they are most likely from the UK. This tallies with the plot of the short story, because the UK was affected greatly by the financial crisis. The time span of the story is one day, starting when Mike comes home from work, and ending with him putting his youngest son to bed. Hanif Kureishi uses a third person narrator in this short story, however not an omniscient one. The story is told from Mike’s point of view, and the
A. Write an essay in which you analyse and interpret Hanif Kureishi’s short story “The Decline of the West”. Part of your essay must focus on the short story’s point of view and on the title.
The western world keeps becoming richer and more focused on materialistic improvement. This happens at the expense of gratitude and respect for fellow human beings, and maybe particularly at the expense of a happy family life. In “The Decline of the West”, Hanif Kureishi gives an example of how capitalism and materialistic greed can almost ruin a family.
The main character in “The Decline of the West” is Mike, a hardworking man married to Imogen and with two children, Tom and Billy, Tom being the older one. The other less important persons introduced in the story is a Bulgarian au pair and Mike’s father. In the beginning of the short story, it is told that Mike comes home from work with bad news, he’s been fired. The sacking makes him reflect on the modern capitalistic western world. What really triggers his negative thoughts on capitalism, is when he looks at a 20£ note that inspires vanity and greed; “How had he never noticed what a sardonic little Mona Lisa smile the blinged-up monarch whore, mocking even, as if she pitied the vanity and greed the note inspired?” (T. 1, p. 2, lll. 37-39).
Hanif Kureishi’s “The Decline of the West” takes place in the United Kingdom. It doesn’t state that directly in the text, but due to the two facts that the money mentioned in the story is British and that Tom uses the expression “Bugger off”, they are most likely from the UK. This tallies with the plot of the short story, because the UK was affected greatly by the financial crisis. The time span of the story is one day, starting when Mike comes home from work, and ending with him putting his youngest son to bed. Hanif Kureishi uses a third person narrator in this short story, however not an omniscient one. The story is told from Mike’s point of view, and the