An American Brat

Mughees Khan
 Chapter I
• Various themes are set down.
• Narration about familial setting.
• Gender Equality (To measure up to my
husband)
• Politics & Religion
• Fanaticism in Individuals
 Chapter II
• Mimicry: Toyota Crowd
• Unity: Shrine visit
• Politics & Religion: A different perspective
• Liberal & Conservative
 Chapter III
• Occidental thinking: 3rd world Pakis
• Racism
• American Dream: The land of Rock stars &
Dreams (also questioned)
• Hybridity (We don’t care..)
• Americanized
 Chapter IV
• Religious & traditional concepts.
• A contrast of the futuristic events.
 Chapter V & VI
• Diaspora starts here.
• Self v/s other
• Racism: Treatment of Whitishers.
“To hell with you and your damn country. I’ll go
back”
• A new world
 Chapter VII
• Desi: A backward, unruly, uncivilized
• Role of ideology
• Cultural transformation: loss of Eden
• Colonial shout: backward due to Colonization.
• American v/s Pakistani
• Home & Otherness: Alien Filth smell
• Appearance v/s Reality
 Chapter VIII
• Transformation: Late mornings
• A journey into darkness: myth of American
dream (America assumed a.. Pg 82)
• Cultural protection: Asian
• An exposition of dark realities.
 Chapter IX
• Symbol of goldfish
• Occidental ideology
• Political extremism
• American fundamentalism
• Abrogation
• Comparison with Ch. IV
 Chapter X & XI
• Symbol of fish again
• Prophetic element
“You think you are already…” (108)
• Traditions v/s Modernity.
 Chapter XII
• Undoing the self.
• Materialistic phenomena & Practicality.
• Dying Fish symbol: Fundamentalist Feroza.
 Chapter XIII & XIV
• Settlement, West as career.
• Practical approach: Manek’s teaching.
• Gora complex: flattered as Mexican
• Un-belongingness & Cultural breeding
• She was proud to have a… (Pg 149)
 Chapter XV
• Changing self
• Values compromised
• American Dream- unmasked
• Deconstruction or Duality?
 Chapter XVI & XVII
• Orientalist Thinking: Naive ( Pg 168)
• Politics in both countries.
• Hopelessness
• Frustration of modern American life.
 Chapter XVIII
• Power, Class Distinction, Racism (Pg 188)
• American Dream: America is Paradise
• Hanif Kurieshi’s Rainbow Sign
• Being there & back again.
 Chapter IXX & XX
• Conflict- Diaspora
• Being Americanized
• Rubbing the identity
 Chapter XXI & XXII
• Desism or Culture?
• Process of being Americanized: West as career
• Traditional v/s Modern
• Time
• Sense of belongingness
• Fundamentalism
• Class- based society in Pak
 Chapter XXIII & XXIV
• Being there & back again
• Economic Dream: Options in America
• Gender Roles
• Americanized
• Alienation
• Desism
 Chapter XXV-XXVI
• Storm symbol
• Mother or Motherland?
• Cultural difference or Cultural adaption? (pg
272)
• Title of the novel.
• Forces of Brat & Experiences
 Chapter XXVII-XXVIII
• Religious Skepticism
• Religious ISA
• Unmasking the ugly Modern society: Lesbians
• Traditions
 Chapter XXIX- XXX
• Abrogation & Broken links
• Alienation
• Hopes & Reality
• Comparative strategy: America & Pakistan
• Homelessness
• No exit.