The Buddha of Suburbia: Part 2, Chapter 11 Summary & Analysis

Rehearsals for Pyke's play begin in the spring. Karim is one of three men and three women in the cast. The other two men are solid, cynical actors; there's one black woman, Tracey; and a beautiful redheaded actress named Eleanor. Louise, the writer, also attends rehearsals. Karim notes that he's never been more enthusiastic about anything in his life. Pyke begins every morning with breakfast and shockingly cruel gossip. After lunch, the cast plays games where they touch each other, and Karim feels that Eleanor stays in his embrace longer than necessary.

On the fourth day, Pyke plays a game that Karim finds disturbing. Pyke tells the group he's going to make predictions about who will sleep with whom, and then read his predictions on the last night of the show. The following week, Pyke has the actors sit and tell the rest of the cast their life story. When Karim hears that Eleanor worked with a performance artist who stored poems in her vagina, he decides to pursue her. He calls Jamila every few days to talk about rehearsals, but she isn't impressed. She suggests that bad things are happening at Anwar's store, but insists that Karim is too self-absorbed to care.

After a few weeks, Pyke sends the actors out to begin researching characters, which Louise will then need to somehow write into a play. Pyke dissuades Karim from choosing to portray Charlie, insisting that the play needs somebody black. Karim decides to portray Anwar and bikes to the shop to see him. The store looks grubby and sad, and Jeeta no longer bothers to wash off the racist graffiti. When Karim arrives, Jeeta hugs him and tells him that if he's going to spend time with Anwar, he has to stop Anwar from going out with his walking stick. She explains that some thugs threw a pig's head through the shop window, the police won't do anything, and now Anwar roams the streets taunting white boys to beat him.

Karim goes up to Anwar in the flat and finds him in pajamas watching TV. Anwar looks emaciated. Over the next few weeks, Karim occasionally attends mosque with Anwar and listens to him complain that Allah has abandoned him. He also complains that Jeeta won't return to India with him. Karim watches Jeeta and sees that she appears to have taken Jamila's example to heart: she wants to sell liquor and newspapers, and certainly doesn't want to return to India. When Karim asks Anwar why he doesn't take Jeeta's suggestions, Anwar fatalistically says that everything is already perfect and nothing will ever get better.

Karim is cheered by his progress with Eleanor. She invites him over after rehearsal nearly daily. Karim recognizes that something in her needs comfort, and is thrilled to be going out with someone so mature and beautiful. However, Karim soon realizes that Eleanor only pretends she's not upper-middle class: her parents are wealthy and well known, her mother is friends with the Queen Mother, and she has no idea that she has more than most other people. Karim recognizes that Eleanor's friends possess a particular combination of class, culture, and money. He realizes that Eva wants to achieve this kind of class, but he believes she'll never get there.

Eleanor cries every few hours and holds Karim, but she refuses to have sex with him. Karim realizes that his rival is a man named Heater, a Scot whose purpose in life appears to be to try to ensure Eleanor's happiness. It's a difficult job, as Karim learns quickly that Eleanor hates herself and requires a great deal of praise. Karim consults Jamila about it, but Jamila insists that Eleanor is vain and self-obsessed. However, Eleanor also cares deeply for others: she feeds Heater and buys Karim gifts, and refuses to prioritize herself when Karim suggests she should.

One night when Heater is out, Karim and Eleanor watch TV and gossip. Karim is distracted and not listening, and Eleanor asks Karim for a kiss. Karim notes that it was supposed to be the kiss of a lifetime, but he paid little attention to it because he was soon overwhelmed by angry thoughts. His proximity to Eleanor and her crowd has made Karim aware that he knew nothing about anything. He thinks that in the suburbs, boys aspire to go to work young, not go to college. Seeing Eleanor, he realizes that Eleanor's education and class is valuable beyond belief. He realizes that he was an idiot for walking out of college and thinks that while Eleanor has been breathing sophistication from birth, for Karim it will only be a second language.

Karim also realizes that when he talks with Eleanor, her stories are far more important. He thinks about telling her about the Great Dane, but somehow feels his past isn't important enough. Eleanor once commented on Karim's "cute" accent, and Karim vowed then and there to lose his accent. After his kiss with Eleanor, Karim almost falls to the floor and tries to convince Eleanor to let him stay the night. Eleanor softly insists they can't sleep together, but won't tell Karim why.

Not long after, Pyke has the cast present their characters for the rest of the group. After Karim performs his Anwar character, he feels for the first time as though he's on par with the rest of the group. When they discuss the characters, Pyke asks Tracey for her opinion on Karim's character. Tracey declares that Karim is doing "black people" a disservice by playing into stereotypes that they're all fanatical, have weird habits, and no culture. She says she can't believe Anwar would wave his stick at white boys, and doesn't care to listen to Karim's insistence that this is the portrayal of one specific old Indian man. Karim insists that this is censorship, and Tracey insists they must protect their culture. Pyke tells Karim he must start again.