How lucky you are – Debi Alper

’’How lucky you are’’ is a short story written by Debi Alper. The story is about a boy named Max and the girl Ishraqi who is a refugee from Iran. The story is starting in a mid point and has 3 parts. The first one is the start of the story where we hear Max looking at a picture of him and Ishragi. The second part is a flashback where we hear about Max and his life situation. The third part is also a flashback where Ishraqi is getting sent back to Iran and Max came home to his mother. The story has an open end.

Max is a 16-years old boy who lives in Groydon, London with his mother nearby the UK Border Agency Centre. A place which becomes the central setting in the story.
Max father left the family a year ago and went to Thailand. Max has a bad relationship with his mother and he hates his father for has left them. He goes to Brit school, which is a school for performing arts and technology. His mother says that his mind is twisted, with basically means that he cannot goes to a normal school. He doesn’t appreciate that he is a student at the school. He hates English and Math and he often bunks from those classes. At the beginning of the story, we hear Max have a conversation with the bus driver. Max has planned that jump of the bus, because of a math test at school. The bus driver says to Max ‘’you’re lucky to have a place at the Brit – and you’re just wasting it’’ (L. 32 P. 8), which says a lot about Max and the main theme of the story. Max has all opportunities in the world.

Max decides to hang out and smoke a cigarette, near the UK Borders Agency Centre. The building of the UK Border Agency is made of concrete, which also makes the atmosphere at the building a sad and grey environment. ‘’There was the usual bunch og people milling round outside the vast concrete and glass block looming up into the sky’’ (L. 38 P. 9) The grey area where the main action takes place is illustrated as a sad place without much colour or life. It changes when Max and Ishraqi meet each other. Max meets the young girl Ishraqi and Alexa, a supporter of the refugee centre outside the Border Agency Centre. Ishraqi is a young girl from Iran. She has been in England in 1,5 years and she lives with an Iranian Family. Her own parents were arrested at an anti-government demonstration in Iran. Ishraqi is not sure if she ever wills se her parent again. ‘’I do not even know where my parents are if they are still alive’’ (L. 126 S. 11) Ishraqi miss Iran and she find it difficult adapt to the culture in England. ‘’It’s so grey, No trees and not even much sky with all these buildings’’ (L. 117 P11) and ‘’It felt strange to be able to wear whatever I like’’(L. 138 P. 11) But she also know that her future is uncertain in Iran and she is really thankful going to school, though it’s illegal. ‘’How what GCSE’s are you taking’’ (L. 132 P. 11) Max asked her, ‘’as few as I can get away with’’ she says (L. 134 P. 11) She has some opportunities in London, she does not have in Iran.

Hang around with Ishraqi Max realise that he has everything that Ishraqi only could imagine. He has mother, who is worried about him. He goes to school and he lives in a democratic country, where you basically can do whatever you want. Ishaqi has lost her parents for something he takes for granted.

and he hates his mother for nagging about things like homework. ‘’Just that morning he’d had a huge row with his mum. She drove him crazy with her nagging about homework and taking responsibility and all that crap.’’ (L 127 P. 11) It also change the way Max treat his mother ‘’He thought about Ishraqi not knowing if her parents were alive or dead and resolved not to argue with his mum for once’’ (L. 171 P. 12)
Max metting with Ishraqi and Alexsa does that he realise how he ruins his own life. ‘‘Go home, Max’’ Alexsa told him. Go home to your mother. Work hard. Take your exams. And know always how lucky you are’’ (L. 198 P. 12)
It’s also what the main theme of the story means. Don’t take anything for granted and remember how lucky you are.