East Is East Essay Example
East Is East Essay Example

East Is East Essay Example

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Taking place in Salford during 1970, the play is focused on the Khan family, who are a group of eight "Anglo-Pakistani" individuals. The plot occurs before the aforementioned outburst of war between India and Pakistan regarding the independence of East Pakistan. The father, George Khan, maintains an authoritative presence in which his offspring are expected to comply with his demands.

Georges' children can mimic his predictable reactions. For example, Tariq imitates him by saying, "I am your father, you are my son. You do as I say bass." However, Georges has an unsatisfactory relationship with his children since he disregards their opinions. Tariq tells Abdul that "he (George) is never going to give a shit about how you feel or what you think." George often displays malevolent behavior when things don't go his way or

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when faced with difficult situations; resorting to insults and violence while expecting everyone to comply with his commands. In spite of his flaws, George strives to teach his sons the correct way of living life. As he tells Saleem, "You do not understand because you do not listen to me. I will show you the proper way to live."

According to George, in Islam, everyone is equal regardless of race. However, he faces difficulty with his children who have been influenced by a diverse cultural background and do not agree with his desire to raise them in a traditional Muslim manner. Despite this, George's wife Ella is respected and his duty as a husband is to uphold the Muslim tradition for his family.

When George becomes angry with Ella, she becomes a victim of his extreme violence. Furthermore, George urges his wife in

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Pakistan to instruct Ella about the superiority of Islam. In response, Ella questions George's understanding of Islam by saying, "I thought all Muslims were supposed to be brothers, isn't that what Islam teaches?" However, George denies this belief and claims, "I am your husband and you should agree with my Muslim beliefs." Even though George has rejected his beliefs in the past like Tariq, he portrays himself as a devout Muslim and asserts that Ella should follow his religious practices. Eventually, their argument grows intense as they engage in a heated debate about the war. As George's anger escalates, Ella makes a hurtful remark that crosses the line.

George voiced his aversion towards Ella's relatives, whom he labeled as individuals who prioritize money. He noted that they exclusively visit when in dire need of financial assistance or to buy property in Pakistan. Additionally, he expressed worry that if something happened to Ella, their children may not receive a fair part of the inheritance. Subsequently, George turned violent by forcefully grabbing Ella's hair and attacking her with punches and kicks. Furthermore, he threatened her and her family if she failed to comply with his lifestyle standards while highlighting his belief in Islam and its significance in being accepted by the society.

Despite believing Pakistan to be superior to England, George relocated to England in order to start a new phase of his life. However, he is embarrassed that Sajit has not been circumcised and considers this unacceptable due to his belief that the foreskin is unclean and not aligned with Sajit's religion. In addition, he coerces Sajit into getting circumcised against his will by offering him a watch

as compensation.

George, who is a strict Muslim, informs Ella that her son Sajit will go to hell if he does not undergo circumcision. Despite Ella's protest about George's lack of knowledge about her religion and that her son is not a Muslim with foreskin, George insists that Sajit must become a good Muslim and be circumcised. In a previous conversation, George had also promised to buy Sajit a watch, but later reveals it is not a good deal. This highlights the consequences of Ella's mistake in not considering George's religious beliefs, leading to her child's suffering later in life.

Mocking Tariq's long hair, George displays his cruel nature and failure as a parent. To improve, he must listen to his children and respect their choices regarding religion and life. However, George's values clash with his children's identities as non-devout Muslims raised outside of Pakistan. Furthermore, debates over their racial identity add to the confusion - are they Anglo-Indian, Eurasian, English or Pakistani?

Maneer concludes the argument by stating that they, as the Paki family who run the chippy, will always be labeled. Unfortunately, there is no clear solution to combat this issue. To promote racial tolerance and integration, it is crucial to reject George and Mr. Moorhouse's racist values. This way, the children would have the freedom to marry whomever they choose and live their lives without societal constraints.

According to George, Saleem should become an engineer but Saleem's interest lies in the field of art. It would be ideal if the children could make their own career choices. Abdul is optimistic and believes that there will be a positive change in the Khan family's life, implying that

the rest of the children will also have the freedom to choose their careers, just like Maneer or Tariq.

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