Firstly, this paper focuses on Farzad and his self as a “contrary geezer”. As a first step it is analysed in what respect Farzad can be described as a man living in diaspora. Subsequently, it is shown what special position Uganda acquires in his life. By applying Salman Rushdie’s theory of imaginary homelands the paper demonstrates how Farzad uses imagination in order to cross space and time to return to his deceased wife. The means for this return are alcohol and painting. The latter is examined in more detail showing its significance for Farzad’s life. Finally, Farzad’s obsession for cricket and its implications are interpreted. Secondly, the character of Gundappa is introduced who has quite a peculiar way of dealing with his identity issue. It is shown what massive effect the death of his mother has on him and his self-perception and how this finally leads to the abandonment of his real identity. It is analysed how and why he he starts disguising as someone who he is not and creates several new identities. Thirdly, the paper has a closer look on the main protagonist Tommy. This part starts out with Tommy’s time as a terrorist showing how the death of his mother led to a similar but slightly different reaction as the one of his brother Gundappa and how he ends up being a man without an identity. Furthermore, the recurring flashbacks are analysed with special attention to his distanced relationship to this time as a soldier of the Mujahideen. It is depicted in what respect this still influences his life. Next, it is described how he regains and accepts his identity. Applying postcolonial scholar Homi K. Bhaba’s theories of ‘living in-between’ and mimicry to Tommy it is shown how he realises that he will never be regarded as a pure Englishman by society. Instead, he accepts the multitude of cultures that influence his identity and finds himself living at the border of different cultures shuttling from one to the other and using the possibilities that this shuttling between cultures offers. As a further step this theory of living at a border is transferred to his occupation as private investigator. Furthermore, the influence that his ethnicity has on his occupation is examined and whether he can sustain his aspiration of acting in the tradition of Chandler’s crime novel figure Philip Marlowe. Finally, Tommy’s language is considered as a means of expressing identity.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Farzad - A Character Looking Back to the Past
2.1 Farzad and Painting
2.2 Farzad and Cricket
3. Gundappa - Forging Identity
4. Tommy - Abandoning and Regaining Identity
4.1 Tommy - Living ‘In-Between’
4.2 Tommy’s Self as Private Investigator
4.3 Tommy and Language
5. Conclusion
6. Works Cited
Research Objective and Core Themes
This thesis examines the identity crises of three male members of the Akhtar family in Patrick Neate’s novel "City of Tiny Lights" by applying postcolonial theories to understand how each character navigates their Ugandan-Indian-Pakistani heritage within the British societal context.
- Analysis of diaspora identities and the concept of "imaginary homelands"
- Exploration of identity fragmentation and the role of cultural assimilation
- Application of Homi K. Bhabha’s theories of "living in-between" and mimicry
- Examination of language and sports as markers of belonging versus individuality
- Investigation into the influence of migration history on self-perception
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Farzad and Painting
Painting is another means of escape from the present that takes up much space in Farzad’s life. Already in Kampala he is an art lover though not an artist, yet. After a coincidental encounter with the Mozambican-Tanzanian painter Eduardo Tingatinga Farzad buys half a dozen pictures of him to decorate his house. Tingatinga has great influence on Farzad although Tommy is not sure if this affection may not simply derive from this very encounter (cf. CTL, 126). After Mina’s death he starts painting as a reaction to his insecurity of identity since “the weight of it [being a Ugandan, Indian, Paki and Englishman] exhausted him and squeezed out pictures” (CTL, 44). Painting helps him to deal with this issue and after a while he even “got a reputation as a post-colonial artist of note” (CTL, 44).
However, he has to realize that people are solely interested in his painting because they can put him in the postcolonial pigeonhole. It is not about what he is actually painting but his history that makes him special and interesting for the art world. The journalists are “eager to know about his childhood, his flight from Amin and the loss of his wife” (CTL, 45). Thus, they are more interested in the painter’s life than in his paintings. For a while he joins the game and tries to get as much out of it as possible. A hypocritical deal comes into existence. He gives the people what they want from him and “learned to paint by numbers, he learned to conjure Gauguin exotica from some alchemy in the logical synapses of his brain” (CTL, 44). In return the critics help him to sell his paintings.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter establishes the research context regarding postcolonial identity and introduces the three male protagonists of the Akhtar family.
2. Farzad - A Character Looking Back to the Past: The chapter analyzes Farzad’s life in diaspora, focusing on how he uses imagination, painting, and cricket to cope with his migration past.
2.1 Farzad and Painting: This section details Farzad’s artistic endeavors as both a commodified public performance and a private act of remembering his deceased wife.
2.2 Farzad and Cricket: This section interprets Farzad’s obsession with cricket as a means of connecting with abstract virtues and navigating life's unpredictability rather than national loyalty.
3. Gundappa - Forging Identity: This chapter examines Gundappa’s total rejection of his heritage and his subsequent attempt to create new identities through gang involvement and superficial assimilation.
4. Tommy - Abandoning and Regaining Identity: This chapter explores Tommy’s path from religious extremism to a state of being "nobody" and his eventual journey toward accepting his hybrid identity.
4.1 Tommy - Living ‘In-Between’: This section applies Bhabha’s theories to explain how Tommy navigates the border of two cultures and the potential this provides for agency.
4.2 Tommy’s Self as Private Investigator: This section shows how Tommy’s profession as a private investigator serves as a structural mirror to his existence on the margins of society.
4.3 Tommy and Language: This section argues that Tommy’s unique use of language, slang, and metaphors functions as both a marker of his individuality and his specific cultural belonging.
5. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the divergent strategies the Akhtar men employ to address their identity crises following their mother’s death.
6. Works Cited: This section provides the academic references used to support the thesis arguments.
Keywords
Postcolonialism, Identity, Diaspora, Patrick Neate, City of Tiny Lights, Homi K. Bhabha, Hybridity, Migration, Salman Rushdie, Mimicry, Ethnicity, Belonging, Immigrant, Cultural identity, Narratology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this thesis?
The thesis explores the construction of identity among the three male protagonists of the Akhtar family in Patrick Neate's "City of Tiny Lights," focusing on their responses to migration and displacement.
What are the primary thematic fields covered in this work?
The main themes include postcolonial identity, the effects of diaspora, cultural assimilation versus mimicry, the influence of sports (cricket) on worldview, and the use of language as a tool for self-definition.
What is the central research question?
The research investigates how each of the three male members of the Akhtar family attempts to reconcile their Ugandan-Indian-Pakistani background with their lived experience in Britain, and specifically how they negotiate their identities following a personal and familial loss.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The analysis utilizes postcolonial literary criticism, drawing on the theories of Salman Rushdie regarding "imaginary homelands" and Homi K. Bhabha’s concepts of "living in-between," "mimicry," and "hybridity."
What aspects are addressed in the main body of the text?
The main body breaks down the identity struggles of each brother and their father, analyzing their specific psychological responses (such as Farzad’s art and drinking, Gundappa’s criminal disguise, and Tommy’s religious and investigative roles) to their outsider status.
What keywords characterize the research?
The research is characterized by terms such as postcolonialism, diaspora, hybridity, mimicry, migration, and cultural assimilation.
Why does the author consider Farzad’s relationship with cricket as a "contrary" perspective?
Farzad is viewed as "contrary" because he ignores the political and nationalistic dimensions typically associated with cricket, focusing instead purely on the competence and unpredictability inherent in the game as a metaphor for life.
How does the protagonist Tommy’s occupation as a private investigator connect to the central thesis?
His job serves as a physical and social manifestation of his "border life," allowing him to navigate the margins of society while utilizing his ethnicity as a form of invisibility and protection.
Why is Mina’s death considered the catalyst for the events in the novel?
Mina is described as the central, stabilizing force for the family; her death causes the family unit to splinter, forcing each member to confront their lack of inherent belonging on their own.
- Citation du texte
- Rebekka Brox (Auteur), 2009, Postcolonial Identities in Patrick Neate's "City of Tiny Lights", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/141465
