In an article for the British Library, acclaimed British novelist and critic Zadie Smith writes that "perversity is the central sensibility of The Buddha of Suburbia: it’s a book that refuses to toe the party line." She goes on to explain that "Karim is rude where you might expect piety, fractious where you were counting on peace, and queer where it would have been far easier, at the time, to play it straight."
The word perverse is defined as "showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences." It is clear that in his narrative, Kureishi infuses Karim with a perverseness that is essential to his survival as a mixed-race teenager. Karim is born in the in-between, into what his society deems the "unreasonable and unacceptable." As Karim moves through life, he describes numerous instances of bad behavior and recounts these happenings in a farcical manner. Kureishi's direct confrontation of taboo subjects is reaction-worthy: whether it's Anwar getting hit over the head by a dildo, Karim getting ejaculated on by a dog, or Marlene's lewd request for Karim to give her ice during sex, Kureishi is provoking the audience in order to critique what is considered "the norm." In this way, Kureishi uses perverseness to create intentional political commentary.
