The Buddha of Suburbia

Haroon grew up in a wealthy Muslim family in Bombay, India. His family sends him to England to be educated. However, he is completely unprepared to deal with the reality of life, having never prepared a meal or performed any domestic tasks for himself. Primarily concerned with having a good time, he drinks and buys himself expensive clothes rather than taking his studies seriously. When his family finally cuts him off financially, he ends up working in the civil service as a lowly government clerk.

Karim learns sexual manipulation and how to charm people from Haroon, but Karim realizes his father’s limitations. Haroon knows nothing of the practicalities of life or the basics of survival. As Karim discovers, he cannot fix a simple snack of tea and toast. His gentleness and helplessness infuriate Karim. Karim sees that though his father is genuine and caring, he uses his helplessness to manipulate women into doing things for him. Without a woman to take care of him, he would be lost.

In addition, Haroon offers no guidance to his children about how to survive as an Indian man in white England. He simply ignores racism and prejudice. For example, he has no idea of the abuse Karim endures at school; when he faces pee-filled balloons thrown at him, Haroon simply changes his path to work. Unlike Margaret, he accepts that prejudice exists, but he expects Karim to rise above it and succeed despite it. This pressure plays a role in Karim’s depression during his trip to New York.

However, Haroon does critique English culture in specific, life-changing ways. His role as Buddha of suburbia and a meditation guru is his form of protest against England. His serious study of Eastern philosophy, in order to penetrate the secrets of life, transforms him. Haroon does not accept that the materialism of English life brings happiness. He listens to his own advice when he decides to live more authentically and leave his wife, Margaret, for Eva Kay.

Despite the pain his decision causes his family, he makes the right choice. He is well-suited to Eva. They have similar intellectual interests, including an interest in Eastern philosophy. His studies have taught him that no matter the pain and damage in the short term, it is better to live authentically and to pursue knowledge of one’s inner self. That’s what Haroon and Ted do, and they are the most successful characters in terms of being at peace with themselves. Eventually, Karim also chooses to live a version of his father’s philosophy, accepting the dualities of his identities as Indian and English and neither homosexual or heterosexual. In the end, Haroon’s guidance as the Buddha of suburbia helps Karim find the answers he needs.

Karim’s mother is from a lower middle-class English family. Karim describes her as “plump and unphysical” as well as “timid and compliant” (4).Miserable and tired, Margaret works in order to pay Allie’s private school tuition. Then she comes home and takes care of all the household tasks. None of the men in the house help her. She spends all of her time and energy on her family.

Overwhelmed by her husband’s ideas and study of Eastern philosophy, she literally does not know what he’s talking about. There is no relationship left between them when the novel begins, other than the drudgery of daily family life. When Haroon finally leaves her, after conducting an affair with Eva for several months, she is forced to deal with her life. At first, she falls into a self-pitying depression, but eventually begins to remake herself and her life, finding new interests, a new job, and eventually, a younger boyfriend.

His mother helps Karim realize that the meek do not get much in this world, and that the nice people and interesting people are usually not the same. Though he loves his mother and maintains a relationship with her, he chooses his father and Charlie as his role models, rather than his mother.

Significantly, his mother refuses to acknowledge his Indian heritage, allowing her family to call Haroon “Harry” and repeatedly telling Karim that he’s an Englishman, not an Indian. Like her sister and brother-in-law, she completely misses the stereotypes and humiliation inherent in Karim’s Mowgli role, simply laughing at his ridiculous loincloth. Because she negates the part of him that is Indian, Karim cannot rely on her to help him navigate his life. He never asks for her advice or counsel; instead, he turns to Jamila or Eva.

A dynamic, generous personality, Eva Kay lives to the fullest. Through the force and charm of her personality and by astutely offering a potent combination of “mysticism, alcohol, sexual promise, clever people and drugs,” she draws intellectuals and artists into her social circle (15). In the beginning, she drew in a South London audience to get Haroon started as the Buddha of suburbia. However, personal success in London was always her goal.

For her own career, she begins working as a set and costume designer and parlays her talents into a successful business redecorating lavish houses, in partnership with Uncle Ted. Just as she pushes Haroon, she pushes everyone else and herself. Eva’s drive and ambition make things happen.

Karim is attracted to Eva as well as Eva’s son, Charlie. Karim feels excitement being around Eva, and he doesn’t want to miss out on anything. In the first chapter, Karim describes his reasons for attending his father’s first gig as a guru, “Plain prurience was one of the reasons I was so keen to go to her place, and embarrassment one of the reasons why Mum refused. Eva Kay was forward; she was brazen; she was wicked” (8).Who could resist? Not Karim or Haroon.

She and Haroon share a real love for one another, whatever her flaws. Karim completely understands his father’s fascination and love for Eva, though she is not beautiful. Karim describes Eva: “She had no conventional beauty...But she was lovely because the round face with the straight dyed-blond hair, which fell over her forehead and into her eyes, was open. Her face was constantly in motion, and this was the source of her beauty (86). Karim’s insights into Eva’s character are in line with his other insights; he sees her clearly, appreciating her good qualities and taking advantage of them while stepping warily around her bad qualities.

Eva also unreservedly supports both her son, Charlie, and Karim. She challenges Karim intellectually, arranges schooling for him to complete his A-levels, and helps him prepare for his auditions. However, Eva reserves her love and support only for certain people. She is not a generally kind or particularly good person. For example, she dislikes ugly people and blames them for their ugliness, causing Karim to remark that Charlie inherited his cruel streak from Eva.

However, when Karim needs advice, he frequently turns to Eva. She is savvy and streetwise, not meek like his mother or unworldly like his father. He trusts her because she is not unreservedly good; she is like him.

Jamila is Karim’s best friend and confidant. Lifelong companions because Karim’s father, Haroon, and her father, Anwar, are best friends, Jamila and Karim offer each other support and affection. A dynamic, bold character, Jamila makes lives on her own terms. Karim sees her as very strong and independent. For example, she physically attacks a man who yells at them, “’Eat shit Pakis’” (53). Karim is always non-aggressive and reserves all of his confrontations for family, but he admires Jamila’s tactics.

When her father forces her to marry and chooses an Indian man she’s never met, Changez, she agrees, but sets her own terms. After Anwar extracts this one concession from her through a terrible emotional blackmail, Jamila never again compromises her life for anyone. She lives in a commune and has multiple lovers, including Karim, even after her marriage. She has a baby with her lover, Simon, and her husband, Changez, helps raise her daughter, Leila.

Her intense, self-taught intellectual studies and social activism make Karim ashamed of himself and his lack of ambition. Jamila lives her ideals in a straightforward, admirable fashion. Karim grows to think of Jamila and Changez as his real family. Though they do not provide Karim with unconditional praise he seeks, they are a trusted, loving anchor for him in a chaotic world.

In many ways, Anwar’s character represents the moral hazard of patriarchal power. Like all of Kureishi’s characters, Anwar is believably human and flawed while also being sympathetic and interesting. Anwar emigrates with Haroon from India, after their shared idyllic childhood, and they suffer through student life together.

Married to an Indian princess, Jeeta, Anwar works extremely hard his whole life to build his grocery store business. Seemingly, he does everything right, yet his life ends in failure and regret due to his willfulness. As an Indian Muslim man, he believes that he has the authority to run his family as he sees fit, including deciding whom his daughter marries.

From the moment that Anwar imposes his will on his family, nothing works out the way he thinks it will. Changez is not what Anwar imagines a son-in-law to be. No one obeys his authority again; they just find passive ways around him. Eventually a combination of drink and rage kills him. Kureishi certainly means for Anwar to serve as a cautionary tale, for he dies in a wretched manner after being struck on the head by a sex toy in the street by his own son-in-law. It’s a pathetic end for a proud man, who brings his ruination on himself.

Karim, as usual, bears witness to the whole series of events. He understands that Anwar doesn’t see Jamila as a woman or person in her own right; she is simply an outward extension of Anwar. Karim describes Anwar’s blindness about Jamila: “He really knew little about Jamila. If someone had asked him who she voted for, what the names of her women friends were, what she liked in life, he couldn’t have answered. . . . He didn’t see her. There were just certain way in which this woman who was his daughter had to behave” (81). Such self-centeredness robs Anwar of the opportunity to know his daughter, or his wife, and it indirectly leads to his death.