You wouldn't expect a tiny English countryside village to be a hotbed of racism, but in Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, that's pretty much what you're gonna get. Well, okay, Edgecombe St. Mary isn't exactly a hotbed—it's more like a lukewarm bed of racism. But that doesn't mean being the only Pakistani family in town is easy. It's kind of a double whammy, too: in a town this small, it's difficult to tell if the discrimination Mrs. Ali sometimes faces is the result of class differences or racial ones, or both.
Questions About Race
- Do the Major or Mrs. Ali have any racial prejudices they need to overcome?
- Is Mrs. Ali discriminated against because of her race or because of her social class? Or is it a combination of both? Alternatively, do you believe that she is not a subject of discrimination?
- Are the party-planning ladies truly interested in diversity when it comes to their India-themed party? Why or why not?