Structure
“We’re not Jews” by Hanif Kureishi has a plot constructed using traditional elements and flashbacks. The narrative is chronological but is interrupted by Azhar’s flashbacks about his family and past events.
Title
The title represents the mother’s reply in the story to the constant racists bullying of Big Billy and Little Billy: “Her lips were moving but her throat must have been dry. At the first attempt no words came. Then she managed to say, ‘We’re not Jews.’ ” (ll. 111-112)
Azhar and his family are the targets of racism and xenophobia because his mother married a Pakistani man (his father). Her comment can be interpreted in several ways. One the one hand, it might be an attempt to remind Big Billy of the horrors...
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Beginning
The short story begins in media res, following the main characters during a bus ride home: “Azhar’s mother led him to the front of the lower deck, sat him down with his satchel...” (ll. 1-2)
As the exposition continues, we are introduced to the main conflict of the short story between Azhar and his mother and Big Billy and his son:
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Middle
The middle of the story follows a chronological line of events (what happens on the bus) interspersed with Azhar’s flashbacks about past events.
The rising action is comprised of various tension points in which Big Billy and Little Billy pick on Azhar and his mother, who initially try to ignore them.
‘So grown up he has to run to teacher,’ said Big Billy.
‘Cry baby!’ trumpeted Little Billy. (ll. 22-23)
Azhar’s flashbacks reveal that he and Little Billy go to school together and that Billy bullies him because his father is Pakistani. The bus ride follows a meeting with the teacher on this matter: “She had objected to Little Billy bullying her boy. Azhar had had Little Billy sitting right behind him in class. For weeks he called him names...” (ll. 35-36)
The flashbacks also give readers a backstory on Big Bill and Azhar’s mother (they know each other from the war) and how the conflict between Azhar and Little Billy escalated.
An important tension point is introduced when Big Billy openly calls Yvonne (the mother) a ‘slut’ for marrying a Pakistani man:
‘But we ain’t as common as a slut who marries a darkie.’
‘Darkie, darkie,’ Little Billy repeated. ‘Monkey, monkey!’ (ll. 78-79)
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Ending
In the falling action, Yvonne takes Azhar to a deserted field where is a public toilet. The woman stays there for a while, sitting on the toilet and trying to calm down before going home: “Then she sat there with her eyes closed, as if she was saying a prayer. His teeth were clicking; ghosts whispered in his ears; outside there were footsteps; dead fingers seemed to be clutching at him.” (ll. 246-249)
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