Safraz Manzoor: Greetings From Bury Park Essay

Introduction

Safraz Manzoor, the director of ‘The Greetings from Bury Park’ was a Pakistani Muslim; who was interested with the music of Bruce Springsteen especially when he went to the United States during summer. In this case, Manzoor outlined stimulating cross-cultural aspects of the popular Springsteen’s themes such as family, companionship, rank politics, love and sex as well as loyalty. Based on this, he had difficulties in accepting his authoritarian rearing while dealing with the worldly allures in the United States. It can further be argued that, Manzoor linked Springsteen’s life experiences outlined in his music it terms of his working class, origins and the conflicting relationship with the father. It should be noted that, Manzoor’s problems about race and religion were resolved through Springsteen’s music (Manzoor 50-250).

Comparison of Manzoor’s fictional characters with Ganguli of ‘The Namesake’

In this case, there is a comparison between Manzoor and Gogol Ganguli of ‘the Namesake’ novel; as both of them lived conflicting lives with their parents. It can be argued that, these conflicts resulted to their ran-away from home as the characters they are portrayed as in the two novels. In this case just like Manzoor, Ganguli desired to free himself with the life he had been brought up in; only to return to it after the death of his father.

From this it can be argued that, both Manzoor and Ganguli were brought up under strict religious lifestyles, which they desired to free themselves from. Based on this, after experiencing the lifestyles of the Americans; they both decided to return to their fathers’ ways of living and customs. This was after the realization that their parents were caring and loving; thus the strict upbringing. In this case, it should be noted that Mazoor and Ganguli were conflicting with their parents’ ways of living and customs. It can also be argued that, Manzoor and Ganguli both longed to work and stay in the United States (Lahiri 103-154).

Manzoor’s father as a ‘boss’

It is of importance to note that throughout Manzoor’s life, he considered Springsteen and his father as the ‘bosses’. It can be argued that, the way Manzoor’s father taught him strict religious ways of life; resulting to Manzoor’s conflict with religion and race. As a result of this, his father was considered as a boss because of the way he brought him up; as evident that Manzoor later in life confessed that he had thought that his father had nothing to do with him.

In this case, he stated that when he was a young boy he disliked his father as he thought that his father was cruel and demanding. Based on this, Manzoor said that he was comfortable in his father’s house since they resolved their conflicts. On the other hand, Manzoor’s father is a boss because he taught him about Islam and informed him that America where he all along admired was not their place (Manzoor 50-250).

Greetings from Bury Park book categorized as a memoir

A memoir is a kind of an autobiography that highlights significant instances of one’s past life; frequently counting a meditation of the meaning of that episode. It can be said that, a memoir is more touching and embraces certain sights or events more willingly than describing every aspect of one’s life. Based on this, Manzoor’s book ‘Greetings from Bury Park’ can be categorized as a memoir since the writer documents some of the importance events in his life.

In this case, Manzoor explains how he was conflicting with the ideas of race and religion. It should be further noted that, Manzoor outlines how his life in Britain was difficult trying to portray himself either as a Muslim or a non Muslim European; but later acknowledged that Muslim and non Muslim can both live together. On the other hand, his work is an autobiography since he explained his life’s experiences from when he was young; up to when he decided to return to his father’s customs (Manzoor 50-250).

Works cited

Lahiri, Jhumpa. “The Namesake: A Novel”, 1^st edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers. (2003): P. 103-154.

Manzoor, Sarfraz. “Greetings from Bury Park: A Memoir”. Illinois: Vintage Publishers. (2008): P. 50-250.