Who Is Me And What Do I Stand For

Who am I and what do I stand for? A philosophical question asked by people throughout history in all cultures. Most people live their entire lives trying to identify as someone they aspire to be, someone who can end each day with pride in themselves, their profession, and their family. Sadly, this level of mental comfort is unattainable for most due to lack of resources, talent, drive, or opportunity. Most try to accept their station in life and attempt to make the best of it. Others live their lives feeling they do not belong in their current position and deserve something greater, these people often feel trapped by society and outside influence. Samad Miah Iqbal is one of these people. He feels his ancestral heritage, education, and life …show more content…
Although Samad fashions himself as a devout Muslim his actions contradict the core beliefs of Islam. He beats his wife, he engages in an affair with his son’s music teacher and craves female attention for validation as well as many other things. Samad feels that all his troubles stem from him turning from his Bengali heritage and hiss religion of Islam and becoming anglicized. He feels his transition was to gain higher status and wealth and dignity but instead he only feels out of place and disrespected and wants the world to see him as something greater. While Samad is working as a server in his cousin’s restaurant he feels he should wear a sign that says “I am not a waiter. I have been a student, a scientist, a soldier, my wife is called Alsana, we live in East London, but we would like to move North, I am a Muslim, but Allah has forsaken me, or I have forsaken Allah, I’m not sure. I have a friend Archie and others. I am forty-nine, but woman still turn in the street sometimes” (Smith 49). Samad feels trapped in a dead-end job with a wife that isn’t what he had hoped for with two kids that don’t represent his idea of perfection. He feels his only shot at redemption for his failures is to vicariously live through one of his twin sons Magid. By doing so he unknowingly leads his son down the same path he has taken which is directly against his mission to make him reunite with his Bengali Islamic heritage. All Samad’s failures as a father, husband, soldier and his disdain for his current job manifest into irrational emotion driven decisions that only hurt him and alienate him further from the ones he cares for. Samad forces others to repent or pay for his own actions but he truly believes he is only doing it to help his family and make them not like him. Towards the end of White Teeth Samad realizes all off his plans for redemption have failed and he finds out the one successful thing he has going for him which is his