(un)arranged marriage

Just ( k) Marriage (Original title: ( Un) Arranged Marriage ) is the title of a children's book by Bali Rai, which was first published in 2001.

Action

The narrator Manny lives with his family originating from India in Leicester, England. He feels the English way of life more than the Indian traditions, which he makes in his family to outsiders. His father, who beats him and otherwise ignored displeases Manny's dealing with his black friend Ady, his relationship with Lisa, he must keep it a secret. This is especially true since his marriage has already been arranged, when he was 14 years old.

His negative attitude of intolerant way of life towards his parents leaves Manny increasingly slipping into an aggressive attitude of protest, which leads, finally, that the really intelligent boy flies in the summer before the planned wedding of the school. His parents decide to take him to India, but as the young man in for a surprise: He finds a kindred spirit and realize that you want to fool him.

Manny wants with all his might prevent the wedding and find a way to break free from the oppression of the environment. He has four years to come up with a plan and implement it.

Description

The novel is the fact that some Indian immigrants do not want to integrate into the culture and community life of their new homelands or can. Young men can be victimized by outmoded traditional rituals such as arranged marriages. While the first part of the story, showing the life and suffering of immigrant children between the new ways of life and traditions, described many times before (such as in the films East is East and My Beautiful Laundrette ), the novel opens just in the second part the reader new perspectives. Manny flies with his family to India and makes there very unusual experience. The narrator also recognizes in the small village far away from the nearest big city - against his will - the beauty of the country and its fascination.

People

Manny

Manjit, known as Manny, is the protagonist of the novel. At the beginning of the story he is 13 years old and lives with his family in Leicester, England. His parents emigrated from the Punjab in India. You are trying to raise their children to good Punjabis, as they call it. After his two older brothers Harry and Ranjit are already engaged and married, now also learns Manny that his parents plan to marry him shortly after his 17th birthday. Together with his best friend Ady and his girlfriend Lisa tries Manny, the four years that remain for him to use to get out of the planned arranged marriage.

Ranjit and Harry

Ranjit and Harry ( Bilhar ) are Manny's older brothers. Both are, unlike the youngest of the three, well jumped on parental education and living the life that had provided her father for her. Ranjit is married to Jas, and the two are expecting their first child. And Harry has agreed to the arranged marriage, his wife's name is Baljit. All her friends come from the Punjabi community, they both work in the factory and do not speak particularly good English.

Manny's parents

Manny is not particularly well with his parents. His mother plays in the history not a very big role, just like in Manny's life. But when Manny does not want to agree to the wedding, she begins to blackmail him in order to give him the feeling that she would kill herself if he does not agree. The father is a drunk and beats his son regularly. He has to be an understanding of Manny's desire to be a normal English boy. He is a Punjabi and proud of it. From time to time he plays himself as religiously, but a really devout Sikh, he is not. It seems to be rather a kind of accessory for him.

Ady

Lisa

Lisa comes in the course of history with Manny together. They and their parents listen to him and try to help him cope with his many problems.

Uncle Jag

Uncle Jag is the black sheep of Manny's family. When he meets him in India, he is amazed at how little it corresponds to the image that his parents had him conveyed by him. He becomes Manny's model, since it is itself dodged an arranged marriage and is now working for the Australian government. It helps Manny in his escape from India and takes the same view as Manny, as far as the family servant. But at the same time he shows Manny and how he will be treated by the family, if he really tries to lead his own life.

Expenditure

• ( Un) Arranged Marriage ( Corgi 2001) ISBN 9780552547345
• Just ( k) Marriage ( Sauerland 2002) ISBN 3794149505

• Literary work
• Children 's and Youth Literature
• Literature ( English )
• Literature ( 21st century)
• Novel, epic