The Decline of the West
A: The Decline of the West af Kristoffer Lindegaard
The capitalistic world was doing great, everyone was making money, and spending it like there was no tomorrow. Banks were lending people money to buy bigger houses, faster cars, and all other material things that an upper class family might need. Everything seemed perfect, until the financial world suddenly discovered that these methods weren’t sustainable and thus firing, and making no money available for lending anymore was needed. Mike, the main character of “The Decline of the West” is trapped in the middle of it all just as many real life bankers were in the grey financial era of 2007/2008.
“The Decline of the West” by Hanif Kureishi is a short story published in 2010, set in upper class London. It is concerning the credit crash and is about a sacked banker and his spoiled, demanding family. Mike arrives at his home from one of the worst tube rides of his life. He is looking forward to a loving, caring family anticipating his entrance. Mike has just lost his job and wants to tell it to his wife Imogen. But instead Mike ends up fighting with his son Tom for him not turning off his video games and Imogen for pushing Tom to the ground afterwards. Imogen then calls Mike mad and a “ridiculous, foolish man”. After that sequence, he is asked by Billy, his other son, for a new guitar; Imogen then quickly joins the conversation and says that Mike sure did promise Billy “a guitar, an amp and a microphone, so now you just have to deliver”. Mike then says “Just call me the delivery man” sarcastically, and then continues: “That’s my name. But even you might have noticed there’s a financial crash taking place.” Imogen then calls it just another excuse just to let people down. Mike, who already is in a lot of debt, then promises Imogen a new laptop, a printer, and the newest iPod sarcastically. Imogen accepts the promises cheerfully and doesn’t seem to understand the sarcastic meaning behind it. Mike then puts Billy to
The capitalistic world was doing great, everyone was making money, and spending it like there was no tomorrow. Banks were lending people money to buy bigger houses, faster cars, and all other material things that an upper class family might need. Everything seemed perfect, until the financial world suddenly discovered that these methods weren’t sustainable and thus firing, and making no money available for lending anymore was needed. Mike, the main character of “The Decline of the West” is trapped in the middle of it all just as many real life bankers were in the grey financial era of 2007/2008.
“The Decline of the West” by Hanif Kureishi is a short story published in 2010, set in upper class London. It is concerning the credit crash and is about a sacked banker and his spoiled, demanding family. Mike arrives at his home from one of the worst tube rides of his life. He is looking forward to a loving, caring family anticipating his entrance. Mike has just lost his job and wants to tell it to his wife Imogen. But instead Mike ends up fighting with his son Tom for him not turning off his video games and Imogen for pushing Tom to the ground afterwards. Imogen then calls Mike mad and a “ridiculous, foolish man”. After that sequence, he is asked by Billy, his other son, for a new guitar; Imogen then quickly joins the conversation and says that Mike sure did promise Billy “a guitar, an amp and a microphone, so now you just have to deliver”. Mike then says “Just call me the delivery man” sarcastically, and then continues: “That’s my name. But even you might have noticed there’s a financial crash taking place.” Imogen then calls it just another excuse just to let people down. Mike, who already is in a lot of debt, then promises Imogen a new laptop, a printer, and the newest iPod sarcastically. Imogen accepts the promises cheerfully and doesn’t seem to understand the sarcastic meaning behind it. Mike then puts Billy to