Englisch - Hausaufgabe
Analysis
The attitute of the characters towards
the housing-contract are comparable to their general attitude towards
colonialism. In this situation, the house symbolizes the country
India, being changed due to the backdrawing colonial Great Britain
and the apartheid. All three characters have different attitudes
towards this house and due to this towards India.
William Methwold has a quite arrogant
attitude towards India. He calls the trade with india a game, which
is quite arrogant because India was strategically very important for
Great Britain. With this view, he indicates himself being superior
towards the indians. He furthermore is rather surprised that the
indians were not happy with the ruling britains (l. 20), but also
seems to be a bit sad about being forced to leave india (l.27). His
remaining aim now is to convince the indian people buying his house
to take over british habits in order to not withdraw england from
india completely. He therefore forces the family to accept the
british culture in the house by not changing the furniture and shows
them typically british habits (l. 14).
Ahmed is accepting the situation as it
is. He wants to have a proper place to life for his family and
therefore needs a safe house were he feels well. He is patient and
waits for the Independence day, which could indicate that he did not
want to have a radical revolution. His attitude towards the britains
is not that bad, as he takes over typically british habits like the
cocktail time or even the dialect. He also praises the british
Methwold, which could indicate that he wants to profit from the good
things GB offered to him.
His wife Amina is not that well-minded
towards GB. She does not want to take over british habits and wants
to keep her culture in her living rooms. She does not respect the
colonizers and criticizes them. Furthermore, it is very important for
her to have her own culture in her country and not to take over
british habits. Facing her pregnant situation, it could also be
important for her to keep her culture in order to prevent a new
generation growing up with british habits.
The house is being sold by an
Englishman. This shows, that GB has to leave India and therefore has
to give the natives their things back. But it is GB’s - or
Methwolds - aim, to convince the people of british habits in order to
remain the british culture in india. They can not completely seperate
from their old colony. The reaction of the natives towards the house
shows, that they were not able to come up with the british culture in
the beginning, but started to see the advantages GB brought them,
very soon. So, they in the end accepted to take over british habits
in order to profit from the advantages.
All in all, the text is
quite interesting and gives furthermore a view on different
differencies in families of foreigners.