Mrs Begum's Son and the Private Tutor

This short story for me is easier to understand compared to the last one "picnic, lightning". From the private tutor Alex Pembrose point of view, I get a chance to visit a multi-cultural community of Willesden Green. The author showed the diversity of this community by giving a description of the pupils he tutors; however, different cultures do not seem to mingle with each other well. Harmony is far away in this community. The scenarios for the tutees to play with each other could only exist in Alex's imagination:"if, if, if this were not London..." The chaos of the political environment is later more detailed accounted at library scene where "the Tory, the Liberal, the Labour councillor, the Communist candidate and the Trousers" all gathered together. 

Magid, the 10-year old boy, is a odd figure. He is not any usual child. Not going to the direction which his mother wants, Magid likes words better than numbers, small things than great things. I do not get clearly understand the conversation about "Uncle Rafi's idea of the monkeys". Maybe he is struggling to find his own identity in this country. At the end of the story, Magid have changed his name to Matthew and become a lawyer. Though I cannot certainly tell if Magid's transistion or adaptation to the country can be viewed as a successful case or not, it surely is common among other children in the immigration families. 

In contrast Magid's serenity, his brother Mark is revolutionary young man."Every muscle in his body was angry." He refuses to change or to adapt to the new environment. After years of struggling in England, he still has the feeling of being a stranger. This young men show his anger and towards the current situation by joining the crowd of Trousers or the "gang of youths". They burned down the newly renovated Asian Women's Centre as a way to rebellion against the whole community. For them, adaptation is not a choice at all. They refuse to change.

From the two contrasting figures, I see the struggle of searching for an identity among the immigration families in England. Some traditions and old habits of living are kept while others changed and adapted. The story ends at the Magid becoming a lawyer. Possibly a happy ending, but the conflicts may not disappear easily.