Girl by Hanif Kureishi
”Girl” by Hanif Kureishi
The short story ”Girl” was written by a postcolonial writer, Hanif Kureishi, in 1999. Hanif Kureishi is not only a novelist, but also an English playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker. His father was from Pakistan, and Hanif Kureishi is a second-generation immigrant in Britain. His focus is on postcolonial literature, in which he also is very successful. Some consider Hanif Kureishi as one of Britain’s 50 greatest writers since 1945.
It all begins at Victoria Station in London, from where the two main characters, Nicole and Majid, are going to take the train to Nicole’s mother’s house. They travel to a seaside town, for example Portsmouth or Brighton, which is located about 2 hours south from London. The two main characters live in a bohemian area themselves. On their journey they are confronted with the outskirt of London, which is very dilapidated and in decay. Everything seems to be falling apart.
“This was not the city and not the country; it was not anything but grassy areas, arcades of necessary shops, churches and suburban houses”1
When Nicole and Majid arrive to her mother’s city, they see swastikas drawn on the fences. The citizens in the neighborhood tend to be more conservative people, and maybe even have a racist background. Nicole’s mother lives in a 60’s house, which is in decay as well.
The atmosphere in that area seems very depressing and dark. There are no bright colors, no smiling faces, no flowers, noting at all.
Nicole, one of the main characters, is in her early to mid 20’s. She has a very leaned back personality who usually doesn’t wear any make up. Her brown hair is cut into a bob, she wears motorcycle boots and has her own style when it comes to clothing. She could be described as a bohemian or alternative type with a free spirit. “… she was wearing with knee-length motorcycle boots. At her side was she the shoulder bag in which she carried her vitamin pills, journal and lip salve”2
She used to
The short story ”Girl” was written by a postcolonial writer, Hanif Kureishi, in 1999. Hanif Kureishi is not only a novelist, but also an English playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker. His father was from Pakistan, and Hanif Kureishi is a second-generation immigrant in Britain. His focus is on postcolonial literature, in which he also is very successful. Some consider Hanif Kureishi as one of Britain’s 50 greatest writers since 1945.
It all begins at Victoria Station in London, from where the two main characters, Nicole and Majid, are going to take the train to Nicole’s mother’s house. They travel to a seaside town, for example Portsmouth or Brighton, which is located about 2 hours south from London. The two main characters live in a bohemian area themselves. On their journey they are confronted with the outskirt of London, which is very dilapidated and in decay. Everything seems to be falling apart.
“This was not the city and not the country; it was not anything but grassy areas, arcades of necessary shops, churches and suburban houses”1
When Nicole and Majid arrive to her mother’s city, they see swastikas drawn on the fences. The citizens in the neighborhood tend to be more conservative people, and maybe even have a racist background. Nicole’s mother lives in a 60’s house, which is in decay as well.
The atmosphere in that area seems very depressing and dark. There are no bright colors, no smiling faces, no flowers, noting at all.
Nicole, one of the main characters, is in her early to mid 20’s. She has a very leaned back personality who usually doesn’t wear any make up. Her brown hair is cut into a bob, she wears motorcycle boots and has her own style when it comes to clothing. She could be described as a bohemian or alternative type with a free spirit. “… she was wearing with knee-length motorcycle boots. At her side was she the shoulder bag in which she carried her vitamin pills, journal and lip salve”2
She used to