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Individuality and Independency: The Different Eras of England That…

- - - - Karim is forced to do an Indian accent. Conversation between him and Jeremy Shadwell, the director of the Jungle Book production Karim is in,
        "'...I think it should be an authentic accent.'
        ‘What d’you mean authentic?’
        ‘Where was our Mowgli born?’
        ‘India.’
        ‘Yes. Not Orpington. What accent do they have in India?’
        ‘Indian accents.’
        ‘Ten out of ten.’
        ‘No, Jeremy. Please, no.’
        ‘Karim, you have been cast for authenticity and not for experience.’"
        (page 63)
      - Eva, the woman Haroon ends up leaving his wife for, primarily fetishizes the culture of India, which is what attracts her to Haroon.
        
        "‘But it isn’t me that Eva wants to see,’ Mum said. ‘She ignores me. Can’t you see that? She treats me like dog’s muck, Haroon. I’m not Indian enough for her. I’m only English.’" (Helen in regard to visiting Eva, page 2)
        
        "I put my ear against the white paintwork of the door. Yes, God was talking to himself, but not intimately. He was speaking slowly, in a deeper voice than usual, as if he were addressing a crowd. He was hissing his s’s and exaggerating his Indian accent. He’d spent years trying to be more of an Englishman, to be less risibly
        conspicuous, and now he was putting it back in spade loads." (Karim eavesdropping on his father practicing for his visit to Eva, page 8)
      - EVA
        
        Rejection of stereotypes projected onto Indians
        
        Hatred of Karim's portrayal in Jungle Book
        
        Does not want to be a conventional housewife
        
        Attendance to marches, as well as general activism portrayed throughout the narrative
        
        Embracces independence and individuality
        
        rejects the marriage proposal to Changez until she begins to fear for her father's life
- - - - LEAH: While Leah is not ashamed of her origins in Caldwell, Michel tried to make her feel dumb for her helping of her old classmate, Shar, who was likely just scamming her. Leah doesn't care, at the end of the day, if Shar was scamming her: Leah looks out for the people in the community because she understands struggle, unlike Michel.
      - NATALIE: Natalie also does not feel ashamed for growing up in Caldwell, but is made to feel so by others. Changing her name to retain more respect as well as being scrutinized by her husband for wanting to move closer to an area she afford much better than, Natalie, as well as pretty much any character within NW is made to feel ashamed of their origins they cannot control.
      - FELIX: Felix is a character who displays a very realistic, human struggle of coming from poor circumstances that result in problems like alcoholism and addiction. However, even after being murdered, Felix is not revered for his growth, accomplishments, or aspirations he had in life: his case gets dwindled down to a poor man who came from a poor area who was murdered by another poor man. He loses any identity he had, now becoming a victim of class discrimination and victim blaming.
        
        "He was murdered! Why does it matter where he grew up?" (page 104, Leah following he news casting describing the murder case).
- - - - Not only has Septimes' independency been removed from him by others due to his "shell shock: (PTSD) he's gained from the war but his sense of individuality has been removed from his own mind mentally. He is no longer able to separate reality from distortion
        
        "But the branches parted. A man in grey was actually walking towards them. It was Evans! But no mud was on him; no wounds; he was not changed." (page 105)
        
        But he began to talk aloud , answering people , arguing , laughing, crying, getting very excited and making her write things down. Perfect nonsense it was,,," (page 101)
      - His removal of any semblance of self eventually leads to Spetimus' suicide, rendering him as a war veteran that nobody bothers to look deeper into the psyche of. He is reduced to a nutcase who suffered shell shock, his actual mental illness and the effects of it on his being are dismissed.
  - - - CHOICE OF HUSBAND: Clarissa ultimately choosing Richard over Peter was her forfeit of actual independency. Richard offered societal understanding and acceptance, while Peter could have provided Clarissa the life she wanted.
      - IMPLIED HOMOSEXUALITY: In a time where homosexuality, even amongst women, is looked down upon and considered immoral in most societies, the implied homoerotic tension between Clarissa and Sally Seton, remains unconfirmed. Her lack of choice in the matter is a removal of an independence she strives for-- and by getting to choose her husband, she is able to gain some of that freedom of choice back.
      - SALLY SETON
        
        Described as a young girl who was rambunctious, a rebel, and rule breaker, Sally Seton has now settled down and become a societally acceptable adult.
        
        "Then she forgot her sponge , and ran along the passage naked That grim old housemaid, Ellen Atkins , went about grumbling "Suppose any of the gentlemen had seen? Indeed she did shock people . She was untidy, Papa said." (page 50)
        
        Sally's youthful nature represents something Clarissa wishes could've lasted forever, but her lack of choice in a world that promoted social wellbeing forced her into a marriage she is not completely content with.
- - - - "As Kerans sometimes reminded himself, the genealogical tree of mankind was systematically pruning itself, apparently moving backwards in time, and a point might ultimately be reached where a second Adam and Eve found themselves alone in a new Eden." (page 24).
- - - - CREATIVITY:
        
        Creativity is discouraged, resulting in many having the same thought processes
        
        The circus Sissy Dupe's father worked at represented a type of creative liberty not permitted in the town, resulting in Sissy being shamed in class for having creative answers as opposed to hard, solid facts
        
        ‘Girl number twenty unable to define a horse!’ said Mr. Gradgrind, for the general behoof of all the little pitchers. ‘Girl number twenty possessed of no facts, in reference to one of the commonest of animals!" (page 7)
      - LOGIC:
        
        facts overrule any other reasoning
        
        Lack of creativity and imagination not go unnoticed by characters in the story, and how this has warped their personalities.
        
        ‘How could you give me life, and take from me all the inappreciable things that raise it from the state of conscious death? Where are the graces of my soul? Where are the sentiments of my heart? What have you done, O father, what have you done, with the garden that should have bloomed once, in this great wilderness here!’ (Louisa to her father, page 167)
  - - - Stephen Blackpool represents rebellion in the corporate setting by refusing to align with the union. He ends up getting fired as well as framed for robbery, despite having told the truth to his employer.
    - - Stephen Blackpool conforms to corporate standards and his lack of freedom in the workplace by refusing to spy on the union for his employer, resulting in being fired for refusing to aid his employer.