Is The Reluctant Fundamentalist a true story?
It can be said that The Reluctant Fundamentalist written by Mohsin Hamid is a fictionalized story set in true circumstances. It is categorized as fiction; however, the story is built around an accurate setting and a background of true events.
What is the main idea of Reluctant Fundamentalist?
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is about the twisted, self-righteous, simplistic, and self-serving political path that Changez adopts. He isn’t a “reluctant” fundamentalist. Rather, he is a fairly deliberate and self-deluding one. Changez feels betrayed by America in the aftermath of 9/11.
What happens at the end of Reluctant Fundamentalist?
But the novel ends without revealing what was in his pocket, leaving the reader to wonder if the stranger was a CIA agent, possibly there to kill Changez, or if Changez, in collusion with the waiter from the cafe, had planned all along to do harm to the American.
Is The Reluctant Fundamentalist first person?
Hamid’s Reluctant Fundamentalist is himself, told in a first-person monologue style. This, in my mind, emphasizes how alone he felt being a brown man in a post 9/11 America. “The Attacks.” Accessed March 27, 2021.
What is Underwood Samson?
As its initials suggest, Underwood Samson, the valuation firm Changez works for, symbolizes the U.S. in all of its power, optimism, and under the surface racism. At first, Underwood Samson seems like a perfect meritocracy, feeding its employees a version of the American Dream: if they work hard, they’ll be rewarded.
Who is the stranger in The Reluctant Fundamentalist?
The stranger that Changez talks to in The Reluctant Fundamentalist essentially represents America and American political discourse. It is implied, though never stated explicitly, that the stranger may be a CIA agent out to kill Changez. On the other hand, he might simply be a lost American.
Why does Changez not shave his beard?
Changez’s Beard
After the attacks on the twin towers, a beard was the last thing he wanted, as public abuse was becoming more and more rampant for Muslims. When Changez returns home to Pakistan, he decides not to shave when it comes time for his return to New York.
What does the beard symbolize in The Reluctant Fundamentalist?
Beards. Beards—when worn by Pakistani or other Muslim men—symbolize Islamic extremism and violence—in the eyes of Americans. To Americans, a bearded Muslim embodies the Islamic fundamentalism bent on destroying the West.
What is identity crisis in Reluctant Fundamentalist?
The novel shows that the identity is at risk due to cultural conflicts which results in the transformation of identity and ethnicity for the gain of the hegemony.
Why did Changez return to Pakistan?
Although Changez feels ashamed for not being able to support his family, his decision to return to Pakistan represents personal growth, since he is no longer acting on behalf of other people, whether Underwood Samson executives or his own family.
What does Underwood Samson represent?
Why does Changez decide not to shave his beard?
Why did Changez grow a beard?
Changez chooses to grow the violent image of a beard as it is a natural extension of himself and a connection to his family and homeland, as opposed to wearing to wearing a kurta which is susceptible to cultural appropriation.
How does Changez change in the reluctant fundamentalist?
Yet, after 9/11 changes his perspective and he faces increasing racism and discrimination, and as his relationship with the beautiful American Erica is thwarted by Erica’s obsession with her dead former boyfriend Chris, he eventually becomes disillusioned with his adopted country, viewing it as a danger to the rest of …
Who is Wainwright in Reluctant Fundamentalist?
Changez’s friend at Underwood Samson and the only other non-white trainee, Wainwright is laid-back and popular with his peers. He and Changez quickly become friends, but because he is more comfortable with America and American culture after 9/11, he and Changez grow apart.
Why did Changez leave his job?
Changez thinks about how he had wanted to take care of them. Changez has become disillusioned with the United States; where once he felt like a part of New York, he now feels out of place.
What does Jim symbolize in The Reluctant Fundamentalist?
Although stereotyping all characters in the novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist does represent two minorities within the framed narrative. Jim is a symbol of those who come from poor backgrounds to reach the successful lifestyle of their adult years.
Who is the stranger in the reluctant fundamentalist?
What does Erica mother give to Changez?
Her mother gives him a copy of Erica’s manuscript before he departs. On returning, Pakistan, Changez joins the University of Lahore as a lecturer and an activist and protests against the foreign policy of America.
Is Changez a Janissary?
Each empire has its own Janissaries, and Changez is a Janissary from the American Empire. As dusk deepens to night, he begins the tale that has brought them to this fateful encounter . . . Changez is living an immigrant’s dream of America.
What does Erica symbolize in The Reluctant Fundamentalist?
Erica represents America in many ways, notably in the aborted love affair between herself and Changez. They never manage to fully connect, and before long she rejects him, too consumed by her own inward looking grief – as America was post-9/11 – to have any emotion left for an outsider to her pain.
Why did Changez quit his job?
Why is Changez attracted to Erica?
To a great extent, Changez feels attracted to Erica because of her elusiveness, impenetrability and subtle resistance.