Ella

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- tries to accept and to life the Pakistani lifestyle and religion

- wants to keep her "britishness"

-> tea drinking

-> clothes

-> smoking?

- try to insist on her views

- close relation to all her children, also to Nazir!

- protect her children from Georges beatings

- is dominated by George

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Ella Khan who is played by Linda Bassett has got red hair and is about 50 years old. This British woman has been the second wife of the Pakistani man George for twenty years and both have got seven children together. Because of her try to live like an Islamic woman she seems to be open - minded and not prejudiced against other cultures. However she's self - confident and wants to keep her British lifestyle, for example by wearing British clothes and drinking tea. She's also the only one of the family who smokes.

The relationship between George and Ella doesn't seem to be based on equality. Although she tries to insist her views when she contradicts George to bring his first wife to Britain or when she keeps the contact to the banned son Nazir, George dominates her. You can recognize that because he sends Sajid to the doctor to do the circumcision though Ella does not want it. In the same way she hasn't got the right to say anything against the planned marriages of Tariq and Abdul. George organizes that celebration without asking her. So Ella feels sad and she reacts angry when George tells her the facts. In this situation a special chair is a big disappointment for her. The reason for her feeling is that George has given the present to her to show his love before though he has even know that she would react angrily. So Ella's husband tries to calm her down with gifts but she realizes his thoughts to bring up the children in a strict Islamic lifestyle behind his behaviour.

Ella has got an affectionate relation to her kids and she protects them from George's beatings. It's important for her that all of them are happy and that every child has got the possibility to live how he or she wants - either a British or a Pakistani life. Therefore she doesn't support George's opinion that all of the children have to live after his rules. But when George beats her and threats Tariq with a knife she reacts responsible and talks to her children to behave like George wants because she's frightened. Also she doesn't anybody else of the family want to be banned or to be hurt due to her husband's anger.

All in all this British woman behaves self - confident and she's determined towards the protection of her children and in keeping her own British way of life. The family is very important for her but she also has respect for George´s radical attitude towards his Islamic upbringing of the children. All the time she stands between two religions and has to decide whether she supports George’s attitude or whether she stands behind her children. Every time she tries to choose the best way to hold the family together and that also every child can grow up in a good way.

Monique