Monica Ali is a British author who was born in 1967 in East Pakistan (as Bangladesh was called then) to a Bangladeshi father and English mother. The family had to move to England due to the civil war in 1971. Monica Ali studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Wadham College, University of Oxford and later worked in design and publishing. Brick Lane, her debut novel, caused a sensation and controversy back in 2003 when the novel was first published, and again in 2007 when the novel was made into a film.
Brick Lane is about a Bangladeshi woman who came to England at the age of eighteen due to an arranged marriage knowing only two words in English: “sorry” and “thank you”. Nazneen struggles to adjust to her new life as a wife and an immigrant in a new country. On her journey of adjusting she learns new things (“ice e-skating”, making money by sewing, the English language) and makes new friends. One of them, a younger man, even becomes her lover. He opens a new world for her and contributes a lot to her personal growth. She finds strength to fight against a mean usurer and even Fate itself.
The novel brings up a lot of issues for discussion, such as feminism, racism, post-colonialism, fatalism, Islam in a modern multicultural society, and problems of cultural minorities. In this paper I would like to consider problems of integration of such cultural minorities in the modern British society as exemplified by three families described in Monica Ali’s novel Brick Lane.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Post-colonial immigration: Muslims, Bangladeshi in particular, in Britain
- Notion of Acculturation
- Integration and Assimilation as acculturation strategies
- Integration and assimilation in the novel
- Conclusion: successful integration
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The paper aims to analyze the integration of Bangladeshi immigrants into British society as depicted in Monica Ali's novel "Brick Lane". The focus is on the challenges and complexities of acculturation experienced by these individuals, exploring themes of feminism, racism, post-colonialism, and the role of Islam in a multicultural society.
- Integration and assimilation of Bangladeshi immigrants in Britain
- The impact of colonialism on the lives of Bangladeshi immigrants
- The challenges of acculturation and cultural identity
- The role of Islam in modern British society
- Feminism and the agency of women within immigrant communities
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: Introduces Monica Ali, the author of "Brick Lane," and provides background information on the novel's setting and main protagonist, Nazneen. The chapter discusses the complexities of cultural integration and the challenges faced by immigrants, particularly those from Bangladesh.
- Post-colonial immigration: Muslims, Bangladeshi in particular, in Britain: This chapter explores the historical context of Muslim immigration to Britain, particularly focusing on the influx of Bangladeshis. It traces the roots of this migration back to the British Empire and the East India Company, highlighting the significant presence of Bangladeshi seafarers and subsequent immigration waves.
- Notion of Acculturation: This chapter introduces the concept of acculturation, a process of cultural change that occurs when groups with different cultures come into contact. It defines acculturation as a multifaceted process that involves adapting to new norms, values, and practices.
- Integration and Assimilation as acculturation strategies: This section explores the various strategies individuals employ during acculturation. The chapter emphasizes integration and assimilation as two distinct approaches to cultural adaptation, highlighting their strengths and limitations.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of this text include post-colonial immigration, Bangladeshi community, British society, acculturation, integration, assimilation, cultural identity, feminism, racism, and Islam in a multicultural society. These concepts provide a framework for understanding the complexities of integration and the challenges faced by immigrant communities in a post-colonial context.
- Citar trabajo
- Anastasia Sherstneva (Autor), 2012, Integration and Assimilation in Monica Ali's Novel "Brick Lane", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/294101
