What Is It?
Throughout Home Fire, we have all been noticing the recurring theme of fathers and sons, more specifically the idea of inheritence and predetermined fate from fathers to sons. While it is present in smaller places throughout the books, this idea (and the opposite) is most prevalent in Eamonn and Parvaiz.
For Eamonn, he at first appeared to be very much following after his father due to his assimilatory beliefs and support for his father's actions. However, in the "Eamonn" section we got to know him a bit better and saw that he actually contradicted his father quite a bit. With his more lax attitude and apparent aimlessness in life, he defied his father's expectations of him. However, in the end he was unable to escape his father's influence, as his death was a direct consequence of his father's actions.
Parvaiz, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. At first, he was nothing like his father: quiet and always in Aneeka's shadow, artistic, etc. As his storyline progressed, Shamsie began to reveal similarities between the two, ultimately resulting in Parvaiz following in his father's footsteps. Like Eamonn, he did eventually try to break free of his father's influence when he attempted to return home. Also like Eamonn, he was unable to escape his predetermined fate and died a criminal and traitor, exactly like his father.
What Does It Mean?
With all of this, Shamsie is showing that sometimes one cannot escape their fate. Both men approached their father's legacy in different ways (Eamonn by going against it and Parvaiz by embracing it), but in the end both of them succumbed to the end determined by their fathers' choices and actions. The two men's deaths demonstrate how sometimes it is impossible to escape your past/parentage, regardless of if you try to defy it (Eamonn) or face it head-on (Parvaiz).
You make some really good points here. I think what I find most interesting is how Eamonn died trying to be different from his father, while Parviaz died trying to be like his father.
ReplyDeleteGreat points! I too think that the parallels between Eamonn and Parvaiz are very interesting. Another similarity between the two is how they both love Aneeka, just in different ways.
ReplyDeleteYour emphasis on fate really brings in the connection to ancient Greek tragedy. Does the contemporary Shamsie locate "fate" somewhere different than the ancient Sophocles does?
ReplyDeleteI think it's seen throughout the book with the idea of stereotypes. As Muslims, the whole Pasha family was often stereotyped to become traitors and terrorists. Despite all three of their best efforts and Isma and Aneeka's innocence, they all became hated nationwide as enemies of the state.
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