Characterisation of other characters
Here, we will also briefly analyse the husband/father and Big Billy and Little Billy, as they are relevant to the plot and social setting of “We’re not Jews” by Hanif Kureishi.
The father
Azhar’s father mostly appears in Azhar’s memories and only briefly at the end of the story. He is a secondary character, but he is important because he represents the position of many immigrants in the UK.
Outer characterisation
According to his outer characterisation, he is a Pakistani man who has never lived in Pakistan, a country that was new at the time of the events (the 1950s): “The family had lived in China and all over India; but since he’d left, the remainder of his family had moved, along with hundreds of thousands of others, to Pakistan.” (ll. 149-151)
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Inner characterisation
The man’s inner characterisation suggests that he is an intellectual, a person who is not satisfied with working in a factory and wants to become a writer. However, he works as hard as he can at his job: “It was hard physical labour which drained and infuriated him. He loved books and wanted to write them. He got up at five every morning; at night he worked for as long as he could…” (ll. 160-162)
Furthermore, he follows his dreams with perseverance. He writes all the time, takes classes about being a published author, and tries to correct his English. He never gives up trying, even though he is constantly rejected by the magazine he sends his articles to and even though his wife encourages him to try something else. However, the narrator tells us that “Father didn’t have a sure grasp of the English language which was his, but not entirely, being ‘Bombay variety, mish and mash.’ ” (ll. 171-172).
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Big Billy and Little Billy
Big Billy and Little Billy are flat, typological characters—they are the racist, xenophobic bullies.
Outer characterisation
According to their outer characterisation, they are father and son. Little Billy is Azhar’s classmate. Big Billy is passionate about motorcycles and knows Yvonne from the time of the war when they shared the same shed. Furthermore, one of his comments either is a verbal aggression towards Yvonne or it also suggests that he and Yvonne had a short relationship at some point:
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Inner characterisation
The inner characterisation of Big Billy and Little Billy is almost identical, because the son imitates his father’s behaviour.
From the beginning of the story, they come across as disrespectful and feeling entitled to do what they want. They were “hooting and panting as if they were on a fairground ride” (l. 7) and Big Billy “was hooting like an orang-utan” (l. 40).
Furthermore, they are known in the area, as the bus conductor does not even charge them tickets for the ride.
During the bus ride, all their comments and remarks towards Yvonne and Azhar are offensive and racist:
