Stylistic Analysis of the Story My Son the Fanatic by Hanif Kureishi

Abstract

The current research provides a stylistic analysis of Hanif Kureishi’s short story My Son the Fanatic. It investigates the clash between a traditional father-son relationship and the son’s newfound faith, which causes a rift between the two. The story further explores themes of identity, cultural displacement, and generational conflict. This research uses stylistic devices to examine the narrative structure, point of view, and use of language to convey meaning. It discusses the use of metaphor, allusions, anaphora, parallelism, and personification to represent the father’s struggle to come to terms with the changes in his son’s life. Additionally, the research explores how Kureishi’s use of regional dialect and cultural references contributes to characterising the father-son relationship and the power dynamics at play. Through this stylistic analysis, the research demonstrates how Kureishi’s story effectively explores the complexities of identity and cultural displacement in a globalised world. It is recommended that further studies focus on the broader socio-political context of the story and compare Kureishi’s stylistic approach with other works exploring similar themes to gain deeper insights into the representation of cultural conflicts and identity struggles.