Comments and discussion

When you analyse the article “Second Generasians” by Sarfraz Manzoor, you should also consider those statements that are particularly interesting or controversial.

For example, the writer states the following about his father’s fears regarding the influence of British culture on his children: “he didn’t want us to be contaminated by its worst aspects. (…) My father feared that we would grow up and forget that we were members of a family and not just individuals.” (p. 136, ll. 32-44).

Here, the writer seems to suggest that his father saw individualism (typically defined as freedom of action or as the habit of being independent and self-reliant) as dangerous, as a disease which could “contaminate” his children. Although this might seem exaggerated, remember that, in Pakistani culture, the concept of family honour is very highly regarded. As such, members of a traditional Pakistani family are educated to keep family problems away from public knowledge and respect a series of customs to avoid bringing shame on the family. You could discuss the topic of individualism and name a few of its advantages and disadvantages. You could also look at individualism in different cultures and discuss its influence on society as a whole and on the individuals in those respective ...