The Buddha of Suburbia: Part 2, Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis

Rehearsals for The Jungle Book don't start until fall, so Karim moves back in with Mum until then. He watches her slowly transform herself and the house into her own space, not her family's space. Ted comes over and tends to the garden, and Karim has nightmares nearly every night.

When rehearsals begin, Karim moves back in with Dad and Eva. He loves the hard work of acting, and explains that Shadwell wants a very physical, mime-heavy version of The Jungle Book. Karim becomes friends with Terry, a handsome Welshman who plays Kaa, the snake. Karim decides to seduce Terry.

Karim and Shadwell begin arguing during the second week when Karim has his costume fitting. His costume turns out to be a tiny loincloth and dark brown makeup over his entire body. When Karim brings it up, Shadwell snaps that Karim will survive. Several weeks later, Shadwell asks Karim to do an "authentic" accent. Karim tries to refuse, but Shadwell insists that he cast Karim for "authenticity and not for experience." Karim is horrified and over the next few days he tries to avoid the subject of the accent.

Shadwell brings the accent up again in front of the entire cast, and Karim pleads that it's a political thing for him. None of the other actors stand up for Karim, even Terry who's an active Trotskyite. Shadwell reprimands Karim for holding back the cast, and Karim agrees to the accent but feels he never should've left South London. At the pub that night Karim sits alone. When Terry joins him, Terry insists that everything is "crap for actors." Karim questions Terry about the fate of directors like Shadwell after the revolution, but Terry isn't able to support his idea that men like Shadwell will work in factories after the revolution like everyone else.

Karim explains that he likes Terry, but finds his views on the working class ridiculous. Terry doesn't understand that the working class people Karim know hate only the people below them on the social ladder. Despite this, Terry remains convinced that the working class will take down those higher up during the revolution to come. Terry also wants Karim to join the Party, which Karim agrees to do if Terry kisses him. Terry refuses. Though Terry's arguments of equality appeal to Karim, Karim realizes he wants to stand apart from others, not be just like everyone else. For this reason alone, Karim loves being Mowgli. He begins to make ridiculous demands of Shadwell to test his power.

Karim doesn't spend much time at home, but he notices that Eva isn't as interested in Indian culture as she once was. Rather, Eva is launching her "assault on London" and attending every dinner party she possibly can while cultivating an artistic persona. Karim observes that Eva is successful in climbing higher and higher, while Dad seems oblivious to it all. This leads to fights, as Eva insists that Dad needs to lay off on the mysticism.

One night, Karim comes home to find Charlie in Eva and Dad's bedroom, dressed in black and safety pins. He has a swastika painted on his shirt. Eva is crying and pleading with Charlie to take off the swastika, but Charlie won't budge. As Charlie leaves, Eva screams that she won't support him anymore. Regardless, Karim takes Eva to Charlie's gig later that night. Charlie had become successful overnight by bullying his band into becoming a punk band and changing his name to Charlie Hero. Newspapers regularly interview Eva, and Charlie's first album is guaranteed to be an offensive success.

Though Charlie's set is perfectly angry, Karim giggles when he notices Charlie's perfect teeth—an indicator that the entire look is manufactured. When the club descends into a riot, The Fish gets Karim and Eva out. Karim and Eva walk through the streets, and Karim realizes that he can control his trajectory by working hard, which makes him feel strong and determined.

Karim invites Mum, Ted, and Jean to a preview of The Jungle Book, and Mum weeps with pride. They go dancing afterwards and Karim is thrilled at Mum's happiness. Karim invites Dad, Eva, Jamila, and Changez to the opening night, and nobody looks happy afterwards. Dad informs Karim that Mr. Kipling was horribly racist, and Jamila tells Karim that it was awful how he "pandered to prejudices."

Despite the mixed reactions from family, The Jungle Book does well in the eyes of the masses. Shadwell offers Karim a part in his next play, and Terry encourages Karim to accept. Terry cryptically tells Karim that he has work lined up too, but he's waiting for a call.

One night, the box office manager rings backstage to tell the actors that the director Matthew Pyke had booked a ticket. Within moments, the room reaches a fever pitch. Karim has no idea who Pyke is and asks Terry to explain. Terry says that Pyke has taught and directed all over the western world, and attracts very important people to his shows.

The Jungle Book is the best ever that night, and the actors rush off to the pub afterwards. Terry impatiently waits for Karim to wash his makeup off, and Karim tries to convince Terry to hang out backstage and kiss instead of going to the pub. Terry insists that this is his call and they must go. At the pub, Karim watches several actors approach Pyke and be unceremoniously brushed off.

Terry tells Karim that critics call Pyke's work puritanical because he likes bare stages and no props, but his personal life isn't so austere. Terry refuses to elaborate and Pyke approaches Terry and Karim's table. He coolly greets Terry and then invites Karim to have a drink at the bar. Terry looks distraught. Pyke asks Karim to talk about himself, and Karim begins to ramble about his parents' divorce. The other actors watch from Terry's table. As he rambles Karim realizes he neglected Mum by leaving her at Jean's, and Pyke offers Karim a part in his next production. Pyke cannot answer any questions about what kind of show or part it'll be.

When Karim suggests that he might not want to work in such a vague way, Pyke declares that the play will be about class, the only available subject. Pyke and Karim part ways, and Karim hurries out of the pub. Terry chases Karim into the parking lot and interrogates him about his conversation with Pyke. Terry is incensed that Karim got a job and he didn't.

Karim waits several days to tell Shadwell about the job. Finally, right before one of the final performances of The Jungle Book begins, Karim tells Shadwell about the job. Shadwell is initially gentle, but soon raises his voice and bellows that Karim isn't experienced enough to deal with Pyke. He's loud enough the audience can hear. Shadwell insists that Pyke is elitist, paranoid, and frightened.