The Buddha of Suburbia

The novel "The Buddha of Suburbia" by Hanif Kurieshi is a coming of age story focussed around the main character Karim. Karim is very intent on finding and discovering whatever it is that can bring him any certain kind of pleasure. This is where he begins to experiment with his sexuality. We as the readers are then left wondering many times in the story whether Karim likes men or women. Our society is so quick to put a label on someone that most of the time we cannot stand not knowing exactly what someone is and does in their everyday life. The Buddha of Suburbia is actually Karims dad, and in the beginning of the novel we see that he thinks highly of his dad. He even calls him God at certain times. As the story progresses Karim realizes that his dad is indeed human and makes mistakes just like he does. His dad leaves his family and starts to hang out with another woman which Karim does not agree with at all. Karim becomes desperate to leave London, because he wants to experience other things, and he ends up in New York City. He becomes and actor, which he is very good at because of his personality and the way that he is able to convey his emotions on his outside. Karim becomes fascinated with the character of Charlie whom he meets, but Charlie does not show the same affection as Karim which makes things difficult for him. This novel was definitely not what I was expecting it to be. When i read the title and saw the cover of the book this is the last story that I would have come up with. The ending of the novel is abrubt and we as the readers are left wondering what happens next for Karim in his life. His dad decides to marry another woman and announces his engagement. I believe that having the story end this way makes people think which is what Kurieshi wanted.
There are many underlying means in this text which i found interesting when going back and picking out what certain themes were. I would say that music is a theme in this novel because it almost has a soundtrack to itself. Karim says at one point in the story "There was a sound that London had. It was, I'm afraid, people in Hyde Park playing bongos with their hands; there was also the keyboard on The Doors' "Light My Fire". There were kids in velvet cloaks who lived free lives". Two main problems in this story for Karim are racism and prejudice which therefore gives the novel another theme of question of identity. The very first sentence of the novel has Karim already questioning himself "My name is Karim Amir, and I am an Englishman born and bred, almost". Karim experiences a lot throughout this story and I believe that a lot of it is for the better. He grows up in a way with all of these new challenges and experiences in his everyday life. This novel is telling us to be ourselves and to not be afraid to have our own identity.