R.O. Kwon’s The Incendiaries and Kamila Shamsie’s Home Fire both illustrate the explosive power of extremist groups and cults, particularly those drawing upon religious ideologies. However, the authors also complicate the notion of these radical organizations by giving readers an inside perspective and showing that these so-called terrorists are victims in their own way, notably Phoebe in The Incendiaries and Parvaiz in Home Fire. Although these characters lead very different lives, neither one is religious. Rather, different motivators drive them to join each group, especially the loss of a parent. In Phoebe’s case, grief over the death of her mother leads to her joining John Leal’s group, and Parvaiz follows Farooq to learn more about his dead father. First, Phoebe finds comfort in John Leal’s Jejah group confessions. They mimic therapy sessions, allowing her to talk about her mother’s accident. This aspect is an important factor in her decision to join the group because, prior to joining, she did not have any other reason to talk about her role in causing her mother’s death. She even references this to Will when she says, “Will, I don’t think you’ve even tried to understand” (Kwon 166). Her drinking habits and poor grades are a further sign of this guilt. Similarly, Parvaiz decides to follow Farooq to learn more about his dead father. In Parvaiz’s case, he barely knew anything about his father, which enticed him even more towards the truth (or lies told by a recruiter). Farooq paints Abu Parvaiz as a hero and romanticizes his visions of justice enough that Parvaiz, idealizing the situation and perhaps seeing it as an adventure, wants to follow him in hopes of finding out more about his father. Despite the torture with chains at Farooq’s place, Parvaiz eventually requests it again so he can be in the place of his father. This reveals his desperation, which Farooq takes advantage of. Although the loss of a parent is the main motivator for Phoebe and Parvaiz, other characters play a role in their decisions. For instance, Will is a self-centered character, despite his obsession with Phoebe. He rapes Phoebe, which is the final push into Jejah and moving in with John Leal. The loss of her mother also means the loss of piano practice and its inherent discipline. John Leal suggests (or perhaps requires) she take up swimming, which helps her fill the void. The Jejah group also has a piano that she occasionally plays, giving her more reason to stay. For Parvaiz, the women in his family are embarrassed by Parvaiz’s father and want to keep his escapades secret. His sisters leave him out of the decision to move out of their house, so he feels betrayed by the women in his life. They are the final push towards his decision. Farooq’s version of the Quran in which inferior women are the property of men is exactly what he wants to hear, even if he isn’t completely convinced. In conclusion, these reasons show how both Phoebe and Parvaiz are seduced into their extremist groups. Isma even describes it as “a kind of secret affair, his first time in love. In a way it, it was” (Shamsie 251). Leaders or recruiters often use these tactics to prey on vulnerable targets. An article on reasons for joining terrorist organizations lists economic opportunities, religious reasons, and personal grievances as top factors. By portraying Phoebe and Parvaiz as non-religious victims, Kwon and Shamsie break down the stereotype of religious terrorists. The effect is to remind us that we are all human with human emotions, suggesting that good and evil, heroes and villains are not as black and white as we may think. Works Cited Abdile, Mahdi. “Why do People Join Terrorist Organizations?” European Institute of Peace. http://eip.org/en/news-events/why-do-people-join-terrorist-organisations
Kwon, R. O. The Incendiaries. Riverhead Books, 2018. Shamsie, Kamila. Home Fire. Riverhead Books, 2017.
5 Comments
Lacey,
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Lacey, I love the comparison you've done here between Phoebe and Parvaiz. Yes, they both join religious extremist groups, but it's the factors for both joining up that really tie them together. I think you nailed it all here, especially when you discussed the absent parent they both have and how much this has affected each of them and how it leaves them vulnerable in very different ways. Great post!
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Trey
4/25/2019 04:46:15 pm
I think the comparison here is spot on and makes these books a good back-to-back read. The central stories and themes told in these two novels are very similar and intertwined in a way.
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Trey
4/25/2019 04:49:09 pm
I also like how you pointed out the subverting of the "religious terrorist" trope.
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Erik M
4/26/2019 09:01:07 pm
I also liked how these books go from one to another. That seems to be a theme in this course. The pairing of the radicalizations of Parvaiz and Phoebe allows for easy comparisons of how they are similar and different, as you point out.
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