Race

Race is one of the themes that defines all of the characters in the book. The novel is infused with Indian immigrant culture and the racial tensions surrounding the immigrant population in London and its suburbs. Karim is caught between two cultures, being a child of both. Although he is English, he must suffer the abuses that Indians suffer because of how he looks.

To a greater or lesser degree, all of the Indian characters live under the threat of violence. Racist groups such as the National Front perpetrate attacks on immigrants. Racist individuals without group affiliations attack what they do not understand. Karim is under threat as much at school as Anwar and his family are in their shop. This threat is a part of their everyday lives and affects their actions unconsciously.

Karim encounters racism from a variety of sources. These can be overt such as...