Theme

 The short story “Paki” by Guatam Malkani explores the theme of identity and image. This is first seen through the way the gang shapes their individual identities to project a certain image, which then becomes the image of the gang. 

On a physical level, the gang members have a hyper-masculine appearance, working out to be really fit and physically intimidating: “He probly could've fit a whole page of holy scriptures on his biceps if he wanted to. The guy'd worked every major muscle group, down the gym, every other day since he was fuckin fourteen”. The gang members also have groomed facial hair, tattoos, and even necklaces with dog tags on them, which are usually worn by soldiers in the army. All these things serve to project an image of traditional masculinity, power, and ruthlessness. The boys also wear expensive clothes from well-known and recognizable brands, which is a symbol of their families’ wealth and social status. 

Next, the language the boys use is also seen as part of their identity. They use a mix of British urban slang and Punjabi words, which highlights their cultural identity as young British Asian men. Some of the slang words are commonly used in the rap and hip-hop scenes, which also ties in with ...