Honor

The autobiography Greetings from Bury Park by Sarfraz Manzoor also looks at the theme of honor. For Mohammed Manzoor, honor is a code he lives by, and he also expects his children to follow his example. His definition of honor clashes with his children’s perspectives, and they rebel against him and the traditions of the past. 

Mohammed brings up honor whenever he engages in conflicts with his children. For example, when Navela wears tight jeans, Mohammed gets angry and feels that she is a disappointment to the family:

‘What’s wrong with what I am wearing?’ Navela would respond. ‘I am not showing any flesh and I paid for these with my own money.’

‘This isn’t about money, it’s about honour!’

‘But what’s wrong with jeans?’ (The Ties That Bind, 16%)

For Navela, her father’s beliefs are outdated and illogical, and she is sure she is doing nothing to disgrace the family by wearing jeans. For Mohammed, however, his daughter’s style is a threat, as he believes it might show people that she...