Characters

The most important character in the short story “Weddings and Beheadings” by Hanif Kureishi is the unnamed narrator. He is placed at the center of the events, but he has no control over the events; he simply does what he is asked to do, and tries his best to adapt and cope with the situation. He does not have a detailed outer characterization, and we are told only very few facts about him. He is mostly portrayed through his thoughts, actions, and reactions to the events in which he is involved.

The narrator

The narrator's outer characterization is very brief. We are told that he used to be “a young man who loved cinema” (p. 207, l. 11), and that he and his friends were interested in making “real films, with living actors and dialogue, and jokes and music” (p. 207, ll. 14-15). He probably earned his living filming life events such as weddings and graduations, since he references such events, adding that he did not really enjoy filming them (p. 207, ll. 12-13). Currently, the narrator is forced to film beheadings, taking place in his “war-broken city” (p. 207, l. 9). From hints related to social setting, we can guess that the narrator is from the Middle East.

The narrator also describes himself, briefly, claiming he is getting older and that he feels “shabby” (p. 207, l. 16). He also considers himself an artist (p. 207, l. 17) and skilled at what he does. He a...