Themes

“Not Wanted” by Maggie Cobbett is a story about a young Turk who changes his life and moves to Britain as an illegal migrant after he has fallen in love with a British tourist. Even if it turns out that the woman does not reciprocate his feelings, Osman decides to remain in the UK, find work and make a life for himself.

The main themes of the story are migrant life, cultural differences, love and pride.

Cultural differences

When a story presents the affair between a Turkish man and a British tourist, the theme of cultural differences is unavoidable. From the moment they meet, the two of them face the challenge of language. Osman does not speak very good English and this makes their conversations very simple:

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Migrant life

After deciding to follow Liz to Leeds, Osman’s identity changes from that of a young Turkish man to that of an illegal immigrant. We see him travelling in clandestine conditions together with others like him: “… for much of the time, he would be sharing cramped conditions and bad sanitary arrangements with up to a dozen other young and not so young men.” (ll. 65-66)

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Love

Love is a side theme in the story though, at first, it may seem differently. In fact, love is only the motive that pushes Osman to take a life changing decision and move to Britain.

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Author’s message   

Take a moment to reflect on what might have been the message of the author considering the themes we have just discussed. Is the story symbolic of personal ambition? Consider how Osman decided to remain in Britain regardless of Liz’s refusal.

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