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The Decline Of The West Hanif Kureishi Summary

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After the extensive financial crisis, lots of western civilizations have suffered. Some have lost it all and had to face the consequences of their financial consumption, and now they have to deal with everyday complications such as quarrels and bad vibes at home. Could this decline of the western “luxury-lifestyle” that many have adapted to, be a sign of things starting to change, a chance to view life and values in a different way and an end to our bad spending habits? Could it be the birth of the non-materialistic lifestyle…Family life? In his short story, 'The Decline of the West ', the author Hanif Kureishi puts the theme to reconsideration. In this story we follow the main protagonist Mike who seems lost in a personal crisis where materialistic and capitalistic values overrule relationships and happiness through social interaction. Mike has problems living up to his family’s …show more content…

This is what’s contributing to the decline of the west. Another influence is that we are very materialistic and capitalistic. Money and properties tend to have a higher affection value for people in western countries than in eastern countries. Therefore the title of the story “The decline of the west” depicts the story of how a western family forgets the values that make us happy and focuses on the capitalistic and materialistic values which end up ruining their relationship. We have to take note on the eastern countries, and their values. The west has buckled under the weight of capitalism. The story is told from the point of view of Mike, with the agent to portrait a beforehand wealthy businessman who gets caught up with work and expectations all the time, and therefore he has no time to socialize with his family. As the story progresses Mike realizes that he has to put an end to the giving of items and start giving the children a little discipline which then sparks the fight between Mike and

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