CLASS DIFFERENCES ACROSS CULTURES IN HAMID’S

“THE RELUCTANT FUN

A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Einglish National Collage of Business

Administration & Economics

Master of English Literature and Linguistics

Submitted BY

FOZIA NAZEER

NOVEMBER 2018
CLASS DIFFERENCE ACROSS CULTURES IN HAMID’S “THE
RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST”

BY
FOZIA NAZEER

______________________________________________

A dissertation submitted to faculty of English in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of M.A in English literature

Dissertation committee
----------------------
Head of Department
----------------------
Supervisor
 ABSTRACT
Recent class mobility, immigration and living in the "gray area" between two classes all muddy the
waters.

Keywords: Imperialism, colonialism, religious discrimination, Identity crisis, racism.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost the researchers offer me sincerest gratitude to my supervisor Mam Iqra Fida
and Mam Fatima Baig guidance and support from the initial to the final level enables me to
develop an understanding of the subject

I am thankful for their aspiring guidance and invaluable constructive criticism and friendly
advice during the work.
I am sincerely grateful for sharing truthful and illuminating views on a number of issues related
to my thesis. Without her guidance and persistent help this thesis will not have been possible.
 DECLARETION

I hereby declare submission is my own work towards Master of English department in National
Collage of Business Administration & Economics and that to the best of my knowledge it
contains no material previously published by another person nor material which has been
accepted for the award of any other degree of the university, except where due acknowledgement
has been made in the text.

FoziaNazeer
 DEDICATION

This thesis is dedicated to my parents who have never failed to give me financial and moral
support, for giving all my needs during the time and for teaching me that even the largest task
can be accomplished if it is done one step at a time.

I am also dedicated this thesis to my advisor Mam IqraFida and Mam Fatima Baigwith out there
continued support and counsel I could not have completed this thesis.
 RESEARCH APPROVAL CERTIFICATE
It is certified that this research work contained in this dissertation entitled Class difference
between Eastern and Western Societies in the novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” by Mohsin
Hamid has been carried out and completed by FoziaNazeer under my supervisor Mam IqraFida
during my M.A English in linguistics and Literature program.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents Page#
Dissertation
Acknowledgement
Declaration
Dedication 06
Research Completion Certificate 07
Summary
Table of Content
Abstract
Chapter 1: Introduction 12
1.1 Background Introduction
1.2 Definition of terms
1.2.1 Imperialism
1.2.2 A cross Cultures
1.2.3 Fundamentalism
1.2.4 Racism
1.2.4 Identity
1.2.5 Religious Discrimination
1.3 Statement of Problem
1.4 Significance of research 13
1.5 Research Questions 14
1.6 Research Objective 14
Chapter 2: Literature Review 15
2.1 Post-Colonialism
2.2 Colonialism
2.2.1 Memmi's Views on Colonialism
2.3 Imperialism
2.4 Symbolism
2.4.1 Symbolism in "A passage to India
2.5 Language and Class
2.6 Contemporary Views
2.7 Previous Research Finding
2.8 Forster's novel A Passage to India
2.9 Theoretical Framework 15
Chapter 3: Research Methodology 20
3.1 Nature of Research
3.2 Delimitation of the research
3.3 Data Analysis
3.3.1 Levels of CDA
3.3.1.1 Description
3.3.1.2 Interpretation
3.3.1.3Analysis/explanation
3.4 Data Collection Method 21
Chapter 4: Analysis
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Exploration of the Title
4.3 Analysis at the level of title
4.4 Analysis at the level of dialogues
4.5 Analysis at the level of character
22
Chapter 5: Finding and Conclusion 31
5.1 Conclusion
 SUMMARY

This thesis comprises of the following chapters.

 Chapter I (Introduction):
This chapter describes an introduction to the study and it creates ground for
the genre of science fiction. It states the background of this research work and circumstances
which motivated the researcher to work on it. It includes, basic key terms, e.g. relativity, time
and space, chronotope, life and death etc. It introduces the novelists H.G Wells and Virginia
Woolf and their style of writing as well as their views regarding the notion of relativity and
chronotopic view of life.
 Chapter II (Literature Review):
The chapter two of the research work comprises the review of related
literature in which light is thrown on the works of those writers who worked on the concept of
space and time, whether it is novel, drama or poetry.
 Chapter III (Research Methodology):
This chapter deals with nature, procedure and method through which
researcher will testify the hypothesis.
 Chapter IV (Data Analysis):
This chapter provides the information about the data analysis under the
study of theories which are mentioned in chapter I and II.
 Chapter V (Conclusion):
This chapter deals with the results and conclusions that are collected by
analyzing the data.
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with the introduction of the topic, definition of important terms, statement of
the problem, significance of the research, research questions, concept of CDA, objective of
research in class differences across culture’s in Hamid’s “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”.

1.1 Background Introduction

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a novel written by Mohsin Hamid. It is a postcolonial
novel which studies how Eastern and Western cultures clash taken place in the society. The
Reluctant Fundamentalistexplores the world, particularly the United States and Pakistan,
during the late 90s and early 2000s. The single most important historical event in the novel
is the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11. 2001: Hamid shows how the
events of this day inspired the War on Terror in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, as well
as the impact of that act on the social world of the United States. The India-Pakistan
Standoff of 2001-2002, which makes Changez fear for his family’s safety, is another
important event in the novel. Finally, Hamid alludes to the early 2000s recession, which
coincided with the dot-com bubble “bursting,” and led to increased unemployment around
the world, 11 September,2001 was the date of changing world scenario the people behavior
and attitude had been changed after the disaster of 9/11 in USA. USA’s attacked on
Afghanistan and Iraq in the revengeof her on destruction of world trade center. USA became
more sensitive about their security the people living in every corner of the world suffered
security issues especially Muslim of the world because of mistreatment. Muslims were
facing class differences in Europe and USA. Muslims was being treated discriminately
everywhere. The dresses, physical appearance and the traditions of the Muslims considered
a symbol ofterror and horror everywhere. Muslims seem confused all over the world due to
their dual appearance i.e. Pakistani and Americanized. This is religious profiling when a
person is considered different due to his or her religious believes. They(Europeans and
Americans) feared every man having beard on his face or a woman having veil on her face,
much literature has been written to high light this problem to the world. Mohsin Hamid,John
Updike, Sam Harris are considered the top icons of this genre of literature written in the post
9/11 situation of the world. This thesis is about religious and racial profiling between
cultures in United State.It roots of aftermath of this profiling in Mohsin Hamid’s “The
 Reluctant Fundamentalist” a best seller novel. Most of the novel of Mohsin Hamid
hasinnovative ideas. He focuses on the sensitive issues of the day. The current study is an
illustration of his idea of religious profile.

1.2 Key Terms

Across culture

Across-cultural communication is a field of study that looks at how people from

differing cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves,
and how they effort to communicate across cultures. It is intercultural communication related
field of study.

In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, America is portrayed as a multicultural society, in which

young Pakistanis like Changez, the protagonist, are able to culturally speak with ease and
freedom and feel almost at home:

“And that was one of the reasons why for me moving to New York felt so unexpectedly
coming home. But there were other reasons as well: the fact that Urdu was spoken by
taxicab drivers; the presence, only two blocks from my East Village apartment, of a samosa-
and channa serving establishment called the Pk-Punjab Deli; the coincidence of crossing
Fifth Avenue during a parade and hearing, from loudspeakers mounted on the South Asian
Gay and Lesbian Association float, a song to which I had danced at my cousin’s wedding”.

Imperialism

The definition of imperialism is the “practice of a larger country’s Government growing stronger
by taking charge over poorer or weaker countries important resources”. An example of
Imperialism was England’s practices of colonializing India.
Through Changez experience, “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” paints a picture of the enormous
financial military power that the United States wields over the rest of the world. The novel
depicts how the United States power is so great because it is both “hard” meaning that it has
tremendous military force and “soft” meaning that it encourages foreigners to adopt American
customs. Meanwhile, the American characters are often ignorant about their country’s power
challenging and impact such power forces a foreigner America to face one of the primary “soft
power” tactics that the United States uses to maintain its power to attract talented foreign
students to its universities and then encourage them to work for American companies. Changez
notes that he is the perfect example of this process, since he attends Princeton University on
scholarship, is given a work visa and then works for the prestigious valuation firm, Underwood
Samson.

“As a society, you were unwilling to reflect upon the shared pain that united you.

You retreated into myths of your own difference, assumptions of your own superiority.”

Racism

Racism is belief in the superiority of one race over another, which often results in discrimination
and prejudice towards people based on their race on their authenticity”. The ideology underlying
racist practices often includes the idea that humans can be subdivided into distinct groups that
are different due to their social behavior and their innate capacities as well as the idea that they
can be ranked as inferior or superior.

In “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”Mohsin Hamid shows how people judge one another based on
their clothing, their skin color and their mannerism. These forms of racism shape Changez and
his impressions of the United States. Although Changez friends at Princeton treat him
respectfully, they are aware that he is an outsider in the United State. When they travel to Greece
together, Changez experiences various forms of “soft” racism. While not rude or disrespectful to
him, his friends think of him as an exotic “pet” even Erica is attracted to Changez because he is
“different”. Changez accepts and in some ways encourage these feelings, partly because he
wants Erica and his other friends accept him and partly because he himself is unsure who he is.
After September 11,Changez encounters bitter and hostile form of racism in America.
Religious Discrimination

Religious discriminationis treating a person or group differently because of the beliefs they hold
about the religion. Laws which only carry light punishments are described as mild forms of
religious persecution of religious discrimination. The world scenario was changing after the
incident of 9/11 in the USA. USA attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq in the revenge of his on
destruction of world Trade center USA.Muslims was facing religious discrimination and identity
crisis in Europe and USA. Muslims are being treated discriminately everywhere. The dresses
physical conditions of the Muslims are considers as a symbol of terror and horror. This is called
religious discrimination. They feared every mam having beard on his face or a woman having
veil on her body much literature has been written to highlight this problem to the world.

“Excuse me, sir, but may I be of assistant? Ah, I see I have alarmed you.

Do not be frightened my beard; I am a lover of America.”

Identity Crisis

“ A period of uncertainty and confusion in which a person’s senses and identity becomes
insecure, typically due to change in their expected aims or role in society.”

The Identity of Pakistani is more in danger in post 9/11 situation than it was ever before Being
Pakistani means to be part of a society divided into varies groups at war with one another on
religious, sectarian and political issues to have one unique national identity is simply impossible
in such a situation, when Pakistan is not only engaged in war of terror.

“I… found myself wondering by what quirk of human history my companions_

Many of whom I would have regarded as upstarts in my own country-

They were in a position to conduct themselves in the ruling class.”

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The Reluctant Fundamentalist a person who is primarily unwilling to do something or anything”

basically reluctant means primarily and fundamentalist means unwilling to do something. “In the
novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist” Changez was unwilling to adopt the culture of America.
America belongs to western culture and Pakistan belongs to Eastern culture. Western is civilized
culture and Eastern is uncivilized culture. Therefore Changez returned to
Pakistan.Fundamentalism is a term that refers specifically to any religious movement which
stresses the literal application of its core principles. It frequently refers to Islamic
fundamentalism which is seen as a reactionary and radical brand of Islam. (burqa, repressive of
women, strict adherence to medieval religious rules). Many Muslims do not drink alcohol which
could be a sign of their fundamentalist beliefs. Hamid also uses the term to refer to Underwood
Samson, because it focuses on economic fundamentals.(American Dream)a career at Underwood
Samson epitomized the hallmarks of the American dream – success, opportunity, wealth and
status. Even Changez’s accent was associated with “wealth and power”. He sees himself as
“immediately New Yorker”. His role at Underwood Samson is the pinnacle of his professional
career and the culmination of Changez’s dream.

“I stared as one- and then the other- of the twin tower of New York’s

World Trade Center collapses. And then I smiled.

Yes, despicable as it may sound, my initial reaction was to be remarkably pleased.”

1.3Introduction of the novel“The Reluctant Fundamentalist”

Fundamentally means basically or primarily. It is used to make an emphatic statement about basic truth of
something and reluctant means unwilling to do something. So fundamentally reluctant can roughly mean
a person who is primarily unwilling to do anything.In the street of Lahore, Pakistan a young man
Changez, approaches and unnamed man and asks in an unclear combination of extreme
politeness if he can be assistance. Changez says that the Stranger looks American, and escorts
him to a nearby café, where they drink tea and eat dinner as afternoon turns into evening,
Changez tells the stranger about his time in the United States. Changez comes from a respected
but declining Pakistani family. Nonetheless, he gets into an attends Princeton University, where
he makes excellent grades and acts the part of an exotic foreigner, but secretly works multiple
jobs to support himself and his family. He comments to the stranger. He now sees the Princeton
was indoctrinating him into a pro American mindset-teaching him to use his skills to help
American companies but he does not realize this at the time near the end of his senior year, he
interviews for a prestigious valuing firm Underwood Samson which does analysis to determine
the worth of companies. During his interview, Jim, and executive vice president at the firm,
learns that Changez is on financial aid, and conceals his economic status from his class mates,
Jim tells Changez that he, too, hid his background at Princeton, and gives him a job. Between
graduating Princeton and beginning his career and Underwood Samson, Changez goes on a
vacation and with Princeton friend and peers. It is hear that he meets Erica a beautiful and
charismatic Princeton graduation, with home he is instantly smitten.In New York Changez
begins his career at Underwood Samson. He makes friends with another trainee, Wainwright,
and wins the admiration of his colleagues and supervisors. Meanwhile, he continues to spend
time with Erica who lives in New York and invites him to parties and dinners. Changez notices
that Erica seems deeply lonely, even when she surrounded by friends and learns that her
boyfriend and childhood friend, Chris, died last year.While working in Manila, in the
Philippines, Changez witness the collapse of the Twin Towers on September11, 2001, and finds
himself pleasure at the sight of powerful, arrogant America brought to its knees. Then, on his
written flight to New York he is detain at the airport. He begins to notice and be the subject of
increasing racism and discrimination in New York Cityand Underwood Samson. Erica
traumatized by 9/11 begins to sink into nostalgia forChrist onenight, Changez and Erica have
sex, a” Success”Changez achieves partly by telling Erica to Pretend that he is Chris.

Changez thinks this will bring them closer but Erica grows increasingly distance from Changez.
Chengez feeling increasingly uncomfortable in New York in the United State as a foreigner after
9/11 travels to Pakistan to see his family and feels angry with the United State for supporting
India’s aggression against his home. At the same time, he does not feel entirely Pakistani either.
Later, while travelling to Chile for Underwood Samson, he meets Juan Batista, the president of a
publishing company who compares Changez to a janissary a reference to Crusades era warriors
who ware kidnap from there on culture and then forced to fight against it. Changezrealizes this is
true that he is doing harm to Pakistan by working for Underwood Samson. He returns to New
York in the middle of his assignment. Jim fires him but seems sympathetic to his struggle
Changez returns to Pakistan where he lectures at a university and supports anti American
demonstrations, although, he insists, he never encourage violence. Changez tells the stranger his
story, he frequently points out that the stranger seems uncomfortable, and notes that the stranger
has something under his jacket in the exact position where spies keep a gun. The water who
serves them their food seems angry with the Stranger but Changez assures the Stranger there is
no danger. Changez then walks the stranger back to his hotel as they stand. As they stand outside
the stranger notices a group of people including the water who have beenfollowed them and
reached under his jacket. Afterward, over joyed with his “success” he shouts, “Thank You God”
in the middle of the Princeton campus. Back in Pakistan the stranger has finished his drink.
Changez muses that Princeton changed him but could not make him forget Pakistan tea of which
he pour the stranger another cup.Changez notes that the stranger has noticed that the waiter is
walking close behind them as they make their way to the stranger hotel.

Changez urges the stranger to concentrate. Instead on the architecture of Lahore he points out the
family- owned business as they walk, but he admits the stranger is write that the gunstore isnot
family owned Changez criticizes the recent buildings and compares the walk he and the stranger.
He observes that the stranger dislike this comparison and seems nervous so he changed the
subject Changez arrives in Pakistan and finds himself unable to stop thinking about Erica. He
imagines what it would be like if she came to live in Pakistan while he thought classes. He also
finds himself see objects in the way Erica would see them, nothing the beauty in small,
insignificant thinks. Changez pay to receive the Princeton alumni magazine in case day
published news about Erica manuscript, and sends Erica letters that are always returned
unopened. He realizes that Erica has changed him deeply and points out that the stranger is
looking at him as if he insane.

Changez brother marries soon after Changez arrives in Pakistan which leads his parents to
wonder about his romantic prospects. His mother asks him if he is gay but though he says he is
not and he does not tell her about Erica. He assures the stranger that he does not rely expect Erica
to come back to live, but also that he does not feels any need to merry to another person.
Changez observes that the stranger seems anxious and assures himthat the loud sound they have
just heard is not a gun shoot, but merely a motor starting. Changez notes that the stranger appears
not to be listening to his story. Instead he is looking over his shoulder at the group of people
including the waiter, following them. Changez admits that the waiter looks grim but assures the
stranger that no one means him harm. He adds that the stranger should not assume that all
Pakistani people a terrorist, just as he, Changez should not assume that all Americans are spies.
Changez says that he and the stranger must say goodbye and points out that the waiter is
shouting to tell him to detain the stranger. He notices that the strangerhas again buried his hand
in his jacket. He remarks that he and the stranger intimate and hopes that the stranger is only
reaching for his business cards.

1.4Statement of the problem

This research undertakes the critical look of class differences across cultures in Hamid’s“The
Reluctant Fundamentalist”. The novel uses the technique of a frame story, which takes place
during the course of a single evening in an outdoor Lahore Cafe. “The Reluctant
Fundamentalist” presents a postcolonial study of the clash between Eastern and Western
cultures. People face different oppositions, dilemmas as well as challenges in a foreign culture.
The research is about danger of the Muslims of the world especially living in America because of
cultural differences. In this research there is a social, psychological and religious conflict arising
mainly from the clash between Muslim and American cultures. “In the novel The Reluctant
Fundamentalist” Changez was unwilling to adopt the Western culture of America. America
belongs to Western culture and Pakistan belongs to Eastern culture. Western culture is civilized
and Eastern culture is uncivilized.

1.5 Significance of the Research

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a novel written by Mohsin Hamid. It is a postcolonial novel

which studies how Eastern and Western cultures clash taken place in the society. In the novel
“The Reluctant Fundamentalist” we analyze class differences across the cultures due to
imperialism, racism, fundamentalism and religious discrimination. Throughout the dialogues in
the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Hamid, the author, shows how people judge one
another based on their different cultures clothing, their skin color, and their mannerisms. After a
glance peace of research, the readers shall easily understand about the phenomena of culture
profiling and specially its impact on the Muslims. This effort is going to expose the American
behavior and actions in America and in native Pakistan as well. This analysis is being started to
look for out the variations in the native Pakistan and the America way of life. Pakistanis are
known as brown individuals from the different cultural group then the America (White people).

1.6 Research Objectives

1) To find out the class differences across cultures through dialogues in the novel “The Reluctant
Fundamentalist”.

2) To identify class conflict through lexical items in the novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”.

3) To elaborate the nature of human relationships in “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”.

4) To explain that how social norms, culture, reflect in “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”.

5) To describe that how stereotypes have great impact in “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”.

1.7 Research Questions

These questions formulated by the researcher, would go to the large extend in guiding
the study.

1) How do class conflicts have created a gap across cultures in Hamid’s “The Reluctant
Fundamentalist”?
2) How does Hamid express cultural differences through dialogues and characters in the
novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”?
 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter deals with the theoretical perspective and related researches. different theories are
explained regarding clash between across cultures, which are used in this research project while
analyzing.

2.1Introduction “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”

Mohsin Hamid was the writer of the novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”. In the streets of
Lahore, Pakistan, a young man, Changez, approaches an unnamed man and asks, in an unclear
combination of extreme politeness and menacing familiarity, if he can be of assistance. Changez
says that the Stranger looks American, and escorts him to a nearby cafe, where they drink tea and
eat dinner. As afternoon turns into evening, Changez tells the Stranger about his time in the
United States.Changez comes from a respected but declining Pakistani family. Nonetheless, he
gets into and attends Princeton University, where he makes excellent grades and acts the part of
an exotic foreigner, but secretly works multiple jobs to support himself and his family. He
comments to the Stranger that he now sees that Princeton was indoctrinating him into a pro-
American mindset—teaching him to use his skills to help American companies—but that he
didn’t realize this at the time. Near the end of his senior year, he interviews for a prestigious
valuing firm, underwood Samson, which does analysis to determine the worth of companies.
During his interview, Jim, an executive vice president at the firm, learns that Changez is on
financial aid, and conceals his economic status from his classmates; Jim tells Changez that he,
too, hid his background at Princeton, and gives him a job. Between graduating Princeton and
beginning his career at Underwood Samson, Changez goes on a vacation to Greece with
Princeton friends and peers. It is here thathe meets Erica, a beautiful and charismatic Princeton
graduate, with whom he is instantly smitten. In New York, Changez begins his career at
Underwood Samson. He makes friends with another trainee, Wainwright, and wins the
admiration of his colleagues and supervisors.

Meanwhile, he continues to spend time with Erica, who lives in New York and invites him to
parties and dinners. Changez notices that Ericaseems deeply lonely, even when she's surrounded
by friends, and learns that her boyfriend and childhood friend, Chris, died last year. While
working in Manila, in the Philippines, Changez witnesses the collapse of the Twin Towers on
September 11, 2001, and finds feeling pleasure at the sight of powerful, arrogant America
brought to its knees. Then, on his return flight to New York, he is detained at the airport. He
begins to notice and be the subject of increasing racism and discrimination in New York City and
at Underwood Samson. Erica, traumatized by 9/11, begins to sink into nostalgia for Chris. One
night, Changez and Erica have sex, a “success” Changez achieves partly by telling Erica to
pretend that he is Chris. Changez thinks this will bring them closer, but Erica grows increasingly
distant from Changez.

Changez, feeling increasingly uncomfortable in New York and the United States as a foreigner
after 9/11, travels to Pakistan to see his family, and feels angry with the United States for
supporting India's aggression against his home. At the same time, he doesn’t feel entirely
Pakistani, either. Later, while traveling to Chile for Underwood Samson, he meets Juan-Batista,
the president of a publishing company, who compares Changez to a janissary — a reference to
Crusades era warriors who were kidnapped from their own culture, and then forced to fight
against it. Changez realizes this is true, that he is doing harm to Pakistan by working for
Underwood Samson. He returns to New York in the middle of his assignment. Jim fires him, but
seems sympathetic to his struggle. Changez returns to Pakistan, where he lectures at a university
andsupports anti-American demonstrations, although, he insists, he never encourages violence.

As Changez tells the Stranger his story, he frequently points out that the Stranger seems
uncomfortable, and notes that the Stranger has something under his jacket in the exact position
where spies keep a gun. The Waiter who serves them their food seems angry with the Stranger,
ii
but Changez assures the Stranger that there is no danger. Changez then walks the Stranger back
to his hotel. As they stand outside, the Stranger notices a group of people, including the waiter,
who've been following them, and reaches under his jacket.Changez points out a group of young
women wearing Western clothing. He says they’re attractive, and suggests that they might be
students at the nearby National College of the Arts. He contrasts them with the women sitting
near them, who wear traditional Pakistani clothing. He observes that one of the young women
has caught the Stranger’s eye, and asks him if he has a lover, male or female, back in America.
When the Stranger shrugs in response, Changez says that he will tell him about his lover back in
America, a Princeton classmate named Erica.Changez notes that the Stranger has noticed that the
waiter is walking close behind them as they make their way to the Stranger’s hotel. Changez
urges the Stranger to concentrate instead on the architecture of Lahore. He points out the family-
owned businesses as they walk, but he admits the Stranger is right that the gun store is not family
owned. Changez criticizes the recent buildings, and compares the walk he and the Stranger are
taking to Ichabod Crane’s in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. He observes that the Stranger dislikes
this comparison and seems nervous, so he changes the subject.Changezarrives in Pakistan, and
finds unable to stop thinking about Erica. He imagines what it would be like if she came to live
in Pakistan while he taught classes. He also finds himself seeing objects in the way Erica would
see them, noting the beauty in small, insignificant things. Changez pays to receive the Princeton
alumni magazine in case they publish news about Erica’s manuscript, and sends Erica letters that
are always returned unopened. He realizes that Erica has changed him deeply, and points out
that the Strangeris looking at him as if he’s insane. Changez’s brother marries soon after
Changez arrives in Pakistan, which leads his parents to wonder about his romantic prospects. His
mother asks him if he is gay, but though he says he is not he doesn’t tell her about Erica. He
assures the Stranger that he doesn’t really expect Erica to come back to life, but also that he
doesn’t feel any need to marry another person.

Changez observes that the Strangerseems anxious, and assures him that the loud sound they’ve
just heard is not a gunshot, but merely a motor starting. The Stranger seems to point out that
there are people following them; Changez acknowledges that there are people behind him, and
denies that he is signaling them; he adds that the people following them may be as frightened as
the Stranger is. The Stranger sends a text message, and Changez points out that since they’re
near the hotel, he should finish his story quickly.The tensions between India and Pakistan
increase, and international businesses begin to leave Pakistan. The war in Iraq is about to
begin. Changez notes that the common thread of both conflicts is America’s war against
terrorists. Terrorists, he observes, are merely non-American allies.Changez gets a job lecturing at
a university. His training at Princeton and Underwood Samson makes him an excellent, popular
teacher. He begins to lead protests against the United States, and his demonstrations get him
thrown in jail and beaten up. His arrest makes him even more popular with political-minded
students. He devotes long hours to mentoring these students. Changez admits that not all of his
students are perfect, but assures the Stranger that he does not condone or encourages violent
behavior of any kind. He remembers a student of his who was arrested recently for plotting to
assassinate an American official who was involved in sending aid to Pakistan’s poor. Changez
notes that the Stranger seems not to believe him, but he maintains that he is telling the truth.
Changez realizes that he may have turned to politics because he wanted to draw attention to
himself in an irrational attempt to win Erica’s attention. His friends and colleagues warn him that
America might send someone to intimidate him or hurt him, and he muses to the Stranger that he
has been expecting someone to come for him. Changez notes that the Stranger appears not to be
listening to his story. Instead, he is looking over his shoulder at the group of people,
including the waiter, following them. Changez admits that the waiter looks grim, but assures the
Stranger that no one means him harm. He adds that the Stranger shouldn’t assume that all
Pakistani people are terrorists, just as he, Changez, shouldn’t assume that all Americans are
spies. Changez says that he and the Stranger must say goodbye, and points out that the waiter is
shouting to tell him to detain the Stranger. He notices that the Stranger has again buried his hand
in his jacket. He remarks that he and the Stranger are intimate, and hopes that the Stranger is
only reaching for his business cards.

Man and Culture

Chagnez is alone and lonely in America. He is from Pakistan and that is why it is pretty hard for
him to find friends and socialize. As a rule, the representatives of his homeland are not treated
well. So, he has to prove that he is just like everyone else, that he has exactly the same rights and
he also can make his American Dream come true by himself, without any help. And he does that,
after studying hard, he gets a good job and his employer is satisfied with him. But still there is
something missing. In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, America is portrayed as a multicultural
society, in which young Pakistanis like Changez, the protagonist, are able to culturally speak
with ease and freedom and feel almost at home:

“And that was one of the reasons why for me moving to New York felt so unexpectedly
coming home. But there were other reasons as well: the fact that Urdu was spoken by
taxicab drivers; the presence, only two blocks from my East Village apartment, of a samosa-
and channa serving establishment called the Pk-Punjab Deli; the coincidence of crossing
 Fifth Avenue during a parade and hearing, from loudspeakers mounted on the South Asian
Gay and Lesbian Association float, a song to which I had danced at my cousin’s wedding”.

America is not his country, he doesn’t feel comfortable there, he even hates it, as the reader may
conclude from the fact that the events of the 9/11 attacks make him smile: "Yes, despicable as it
may sound, my initial reaction was to be remarkably pleased." Later, he leaves America and
becomes a leader of anti-American movements in Lahore and finally he finds himself in the right
time and place, doing what he likes and what he has to.

Racism

Throughout The Reluctant Fundamentalist, beginning on the first page, Hamid, the author,
shows how people judge one another based on their clothing, their skin color, and their
mannerisms. These forms of racism shape Changez and his impressions of the United States.
Although Changez’s friends at Princeton treat him respectfully, they’re aware that he is an
outsider in the United States. When they travel to Greece together, Changez experiences various
forms of “soft” racism. While not rude to him, his friend thinks of him as an exotic “pet”;
even Erica is attracted to Changez because he is “different.” Changez accepts and in some ways
encourages these feelings, partly because he wants Erica and his other friends to accept him and
partly because he himself is unsure who he is.After September 11, Changez encounters more
overt and hostile forms of racism in America. He’s called an Arab, though he’s really Pakistani,
and is detained at an airport and harassed by a bigoted security officer. Changez refuses to “cave
in” during these confrontations, and, in defiance of what he sees as their profound unfairness and
viciousness, deliberately changes his behavior and appearance to appear even more obviously
foreign. Put another way: the novel shows how racism helps to create the very thing it fears. In
Changez’s case, racism ultimately drives him from his adopted country of the United States back
to Pakistan.In The Reluctant Fundamentalist’s “frame narrative,” Changez and the
Stranger judge each other based on their racist preconceptions. The Stranger is suspicious of
Changez because of his beard and clothing, while Changez sizes up the Stranger as an American
based on his bearing. In the end, Hamid doesn’t reveal if either Changez or the Stranger has
judged accurately: Changez could be an anti-American terrorist, and the Stranger could be an
American secret agent, or both, or neither. Readers are forced to decide whether the stereotypes
of terrorist and spy are, in this case, accurate, and, if they are, whether Changez has been driven
to terrorism by the racism he encountered as an outsider in the United States.

Identity

Hamid investigates the theme of identity in his novel, 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist', through
Changez's struggle to find a balance between his Pakistani origins and his new adopted
American persona. The reader, and perhaps the protagonist himself, first become aware of this
internal conflict on his first day at Underwood Samson. Changez tells the Stranger that "On that
day, he did not think of himself as a Pakistani, but as an Underwood Samson trainee". This
abandonment of his origins symbolises, to a certain extent, how our protagonist favours his new
corporate identity over his cultural roots. This idea that being a “trainee”, a noun which often
holds connotations of inexperience (and therefore suggests a low status within a company’s
hierarchy), holds more importance to Changez than his cultural background during his first day
at Underwood Samson introduces a lingering feeling of betrayal that is sustained throughout the
novel. Alternatively, this can be seen as Changez's way of avoiding the guilt he feels for leaving
his family behind in Lahore. The juxtaposition of these two identities, which is emphasised by
Hamid's use of Underwood Samson as a microcosm for the proud nation of America,
foreshadows the controversial, yet inevitable, climax of the novel. During this critical moment in
the narrative, Changez reveals to the reader that he smiled "as one - and then the other - of the
twin towers of New York's World Trade Canter collapsed". This shocking confession, in which
Changez exposes his antagonistic nature, causes the reader to question their own reaction to the
tragic events of September 11 2001. In a podcast with the 'Guardian Review Book Club’, Hamid
explained that he tried to investigate"whether it was possible to find, in the reader, the notions of
fundamentalism and its reaction".

Fundamentalism

Fundamentalism is a term that refers specifically to any religious movement which stresses the
literal application of its core principles. It frequently refers to Islamic fundamentalism which is
seen as a reactionary and radical brand of Islam. (burqa, repressive of women, strict adherence to
medieval religious rules). Many Muslims do not drink alcohol which could be a sign of their
fundamentalist beliefs. Hamid also uses the term to refer to Underwood Samson, because it
focuses on economic fundamentals.(American Dream)a career at Underwood Samson
epitomized the hallmarks of the American dream – success, opportunity, wealth and status. Even
Changez’s accent was associated with “wealth and power”. He sees himself as “immediately
New Yorker”. His role at Underwood Samson is the pinnacle of his professional career and the
culmination of Changez’s dream. “This is a dream come true”.Changez resigns and rejects the
system (after the bombing):

The firm focuses on the “fundamentals”; employees are considered “assets” and are rated
according to their financial worth to the company; company officials value above all else
“maximum productivity”Changez increasingly rejects a system that is competitively focused on
asset-management, which reduces its employees as well as its clients to business “assets” or
liabilities. Their creed values “above all else maximum productivity”… there is no place for
“second best”. This focus often causes a great deal of misery in developing countries.The word
Fundamentalism can convey different meanings and in particular throughout this novel, it gets
fear from the ordinary and more common one.

-Religious fundamentalism: strict adherence to ancient religious precepts and rules not being able
to evolve in religious belief.
-Economic fundamentalism: strict adherence to the principles/basics of economy and finance
making money is the only measure of value
-Politic fundamentalism: use of religion for political purposes the executive power is not
separated from the religious authority.

2.2Contemporary Views

Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist renders a cautioning message through his

character,Changez, the American domestic and international policies toward Muslims and the
Islamic world after 9/11, if not changed, will turn ordinary Muslims such as Changez into
radicals, and violence will breed violence. It also finds out that the American domineering
policies and its blind War on Terror will force many ordinary Muslims to hand over the
American Dream, like Changez, and convert them into radicals. Furthermore, the American
reaction toward Muslims after the 9/11 tragic attacks has been blind, indiscriminate, and
disproportionate to such an extent that even the people of different nationalities were killed
because they resembled Muslims. The study also finds out that by mistreating, targeting, and
alienating Muslims, one is hitting hard at the concept of multiculturalism on which the American
society is based. Hence, American society will be prone to internal fissures and disintegration if
they fail to accept the “Other” and fail to stop blaming all Muslims for a few isolated tragic
incidents that they are not actually responsible for. It is also the right time to stop targeting
Muslims after the backlash of 9/11, taking into account that Muslims constitute an important
component of the American society particularly, and Europe, in general. This paper concludes
that the mistreatment of Muslims and the War on Terror that followed 9/11 may lead to the
exclusion and alienation of Muslims in America and explain the rise of ISIS. Finally, Hamid renders a
message that many Muslims, like Changez, want to live in peace.

Backlash of 9/11 on Muslims in Mohsin Hamid“TheReluctant Fundamentalist”

Hamid has brilliantly presented the rift between East and West when he portrays the American
as West and Changez as East. In addition to it, Hamid illustrates how at different times, Changez
had bitter experiences in post 9/11 America, such as intimacy with Erica, Erica’s father’s
comments on Pakistan’s political situation, experience of prejudice at the airport and in a street
and above all, his colleagues’ reaction when he leaves the job. It reflects that this country of the
“Philosopher-Kings” (Hamid, 2007, p.2) is not perfect and it is as prejudiced towards the cultural
and racial differences as any other society or culture. Hamid’s description of the situation in
America and then in Lahore when the American follows Changez either to assassinate him or
arrest him to take him to the United States questions West’s response to the East in the post 9/11
era. Although according to Hamid they do not show trust on each other, Changez gives a positive
gesture, “You should not imagine that we Pakistanis are all potential terrorists, just as we should
not imagine that you Americans are all undercover assassins” (Hamid, 2007, p. 111). He also
shows his closeness towards the American when he tells him about a metal gleam in his pocket,
“you and I are now bound by a certain shared intimacy, I trust it is from the holder of your
business card” (Hamid, 2007, p.11). However I believe that when the two walk together in the
same direction they show that they want peace and togetherness and not a rift between East and
West. By the end of the story Hamid bridges the gap between East and West when he portrays
them walking together in the same direction without any violation. Since the novel leaves a lot of
space for interpretation, it can also be said that East only speaks as shown in the character of
Changez, whereas West believes in action on the name of War on Terror, such as Afghanistan
War and Iraq War. However, in the current political milieu the clash is between East and East
when ISIS and the Taliban are attacking the eastern countries on a larger scale. Now it is not the
lack of trust on East or West, this distrust is hovering around our heads all the time when we, the
Pakistanis, cannot move freely on our roads and have to pass through security checks when
armed young men with alert, suspicious eyes after checking the car with a stick with sensors,
looked into each car on the name of public’s security.

“THE EAST AND WEST TRUST DEFICIT IN MOHSIN HAMID’S THE RELUCTANT
FUNDAMENTALIST”

2.3Mohsin Hamid Novelist

Mohsin Hamid is a writer, novelist and brand consultant. He was born in Lahore, Pakistan, but
like some of his characters in his novels, he has moved from his native country and has lived in
California, London and New York (MohsinHamid.com). When Hamid was three years old his
father enrolled in a Ph.D. program at Stanford University and the family spent nine years in
California before moving back to Pakistan. When Hamid was 18 years old, he moved back to
America to attend Princeton University, where he studied under two famous American writers,
Toni Morrison and Joyce Carol Oates. During this period, he started working on his first novel.
Hamid finished his academic career in 1997 when he graduated from Harvard Law School
(Perlez 2013). Hamid released his first novel Holy Smoke in 2000. It became very popular in
Pakistan and India. His second novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist was published in 2007 and
has since been translated into 25 languages. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2007 and
turned into a major movie in 2012, the same year he released his third novel How to Get Filthy
Rich in Rising Asia. In 2017 his latest novel, Exit West was released. It deals with current topics
such as migration and being a refugee (MohsinHamid.com). Both authors have a common
background with roots in Pakistan and moves between Eastern and Western societies. They have
both received a higher education in America. They write about critical moral issues, and the
main characters in this essay share many similarities with each other. They are both from
Pakistan, non-practicing Muslims, well-educated and successful within their different fields.
However, most of all The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Disgraced deal with questions of
identity after 9/11. One of the novel's notable achievements is the seamless manner in which
ideology and emotion, politics and the personal are brought together into a vivid picture of an
individual's Globalized revolt. But more intriguing, and arguably more impressive, is the fact
that Changez is a sympathetic figure in spite of some objectionable opinions – he admits, for
example, to being "remarkably pleased" by 9/11.

In a sense, he is the embodiment of the argument that says that America has created its own
enemies. Although that outlook may be fashionable on some US campuses, it has become
practically universal in Pakistan, a country blighted by fundamentalists who display no hint of
reluctance at all. Indeed some argue that the social and political crisis into which Pakistan
appears to be sinking ever deeper is at least partly the result of its political class refusing to
challenge these reluctant fundamentalists, preferring instead to take refuge in crowd-pleasing
anti-Americanism. One of the novel's notable achievements is the seamless manner in which
ideology and emotion, politics and the personal are brought together into a vivid picture of an
individual's globalised revolt. But more intriguing, and arguably more impressive, is the fact that
Changez is a sympathetic figure in spite of some objectionable opinions – he admits, for
example, to being "remarkably pleased" by 9/11.In a sense, he is the embodiment of the
argument that says that America has created its own enemies. Although that outlook may be
fashionable on some US campuses, it has become practically universal in Pakistan, a country
blighted by fundamentalists who display no hint of reluctance at all.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is in no way a critique of Pakistan's intellectual denial. If anything

it could be described as an example of it. But if that were the case, it would do nothing to
undermine its strength as a novel. It's not Hamid's job to right the problems of his country of
birth. His job as a novelist is to capture a particular reality and give authentic voice to the
characters therein. And in this he has succeeded with a sureness that is quite mesmerism.

2.4Theoretical Framework
 CHAPTER-3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter deals with the methodology of the study and also discusses the nature of
theresearch design, research methodology, data collection and analysis as well as the
delimitations of the study.

3.1 Nature of the Research

The nature of the research is descriptive. Descriptive research is a study designed to depict the
participants in an accurate way. More simply but, descriptive research is all about describing
people who take part in the study. In research descriptive case study is used. It is a research
method involving an up close, in depth and detailed examination of the subject of the study, as
well as related contextual conditions. Since the goal of the research is to describe class
differences across culture in Hamid’s by “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”. In this research
description is used as a tool of research to organized data. Descriptive research is effective to
analyze non quantified topics and issues. The Information of the research has gathered about
present conditions that language used in the novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”. So the prime
research questions are descriptive in nature.

3.2 Delimitation of the Research

The specific aim is to look for out the class differences across culture in Hamid’s The Reluctant
Fundamentalist and the clash between Eastern and Western cultures through identity crisis,
religious discrimination, imperialism and colonialism which are showed Hamid in” The
Reluctant Fundamentalist”. To discover out these conditions in whole explanation, the researcher
will focus on the specific written text of “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”.

3.3 Data Analysis

The research is qualitative in its characteristics because the data is being collected through the
writing of “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”. The data will be examined through the Fairclough’s
model, Critical discourse analysis (CDA).Discourse is the continuous stretched oflanguage more
than one sentence to find out the ultimate truth for better understanding and communication.
Discourse is the unity of coherence (senses) to find coherence is called discourse analysis.
Norman Fairclough’s was a famous and prominent linguist who gives the model of Critical
Discourse Analysis (CDA).

According to Fairclough’s (1989) language is a kind of social practice. Discourse refers to the
whole process of social interaction of which a text is just a part (p24). Fair Clough’s (1989)
insists that critical analysis should not only focus on the texts, the process of text production and
interpretation of the texts, but also look into the interrelationship among texts, production
process, and their social context. Based on such assumptions, Fair Clough’s 1981, 1992, 2003
developed his three dimensional framework. In his view every communicative event comprises
three dimensions: it is a text (speech, writing visual images or a combination of these) it is a
discursive practice which involves the production and consumption of texts, it is a social
practice. Corresponding to the three levels of discourse, Fair Clough’s developed three stages of
CDA: description, interpretation and explanation from him discourse is a kind of social practice,
which is the embodiment of social structure. Discourse is a unity of “context” interaction and
“text”. Among them text lies in the bottom which is a result of interaction both the process of
production and process of interpretation rely on context (Fair Clough’s 1992).

3.4 Levels of CDA

There are three levels of critical discourse analysis (CDA) micro, meso, and micro these levels
have three dimentions.

1) Description
2) Interpretation
3) Explanation

3.4.1Description

A spoken or written account of a person, object, or event people who had seen him were able to
give a description.
Description is the formal properties of text in the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist.Mohsin
Hamid gives description about the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

3.4.2Interpretation

“The interpretation stage reveals the hidden power relations and the purpose of this stage is to
establish whether the verbal cues in the text contain certain assumptions or other hidden elements
that are not obvious at a first glance” (Fairclough, 1989, p.129). As a whole, this stage was
applied for interpreting the findings of the first stage- description and assigning the discourse of
the text as well. In the interpretation of texts in the novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”, by the
discourse participants Fair Clough’s poses the following questions

1) What is going on in the novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”?

2) Who is involved in the novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”?
3) What is character relation in the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist”?
4) What is the role of language in the novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”?

3.4.3Explanation
As stated by Fairclough (1989), explanation has two dimensions, depending on whether the
emphasis is on processes of social struggle or relations of power. By the way, discourses are
regarded as the social struggles which are contextualized in broader struggles or in other words,
non-discourse struggles. On the other hand, explanation presents what power relations determine
discourses. The stage of explanation clarifies what has been obtained and interpreted in the stage
of interpretation by examining interaction and social context. According to Fair Clough’s, this
portion deals with the effect that discourse has on practices, whether they are changed or
sustained. Thus, Explanations deals with social determinants, ideology and there effects. “The
Reluctant Fundamentalist” by Mohsin Hamid portraits the world after September 11 attacks,
from two conflict view points, one is of the Muslims and the other or Non-Muslim American.
Hamid gives a metaphorical touch to his novel by associating Changez with East and a silent
American with West. Although it is a post 9/11 novel Hamid through his narrator, Changez
discuss many thing that are before the 9/11 events and even before the partition of India and
Pakistan. This monologue is narrated to is an unnamed American by Changez, barded America
returned Pakistani man, When the American by chance or by intention meets Changez in one of
the restaurants of Anarkali, Old market of Lahore. Changez tells him about his experience in
America his employment at Underwood Samson & Company, his pride for earning the
handsome salary of 8 thousand dollars per annum. Changez also tells the unnamed American the
circumstances in which he decided to come back.

3.5 Data Collection Method

Data defines as a collection of information that has been used in research. Qualitative data
come in the forms of photos, written words, phrases or symbols describing or representing
people, actions and events in social life (Lawrence, 2007). In the qualitative research usually,
data are in the forms of nonnumeric but have variety in sources. Based on such explanation, the
data of this research are some phrases, clauses, sentences and expressions related to;

1) To study the impact of class differences across the cultures in “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”

2) To find out the role of race through dialogues in the novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist“.

3) To identify the theme of imperialism in “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”

4) To elaborate the role of power through lexical items in the novel “The Reluctant
Fundamentalist”.

5) To find out the Language that is manipulated by Eastern and Western society in the novel
“The Reluctant Fundamentalist”.

CHAPTER-4

DATA ANALYSIS

This chapter deals with the detailed analysis of the as well the brief history and introduction of
the novel which provides finding and discussion. It describes the analysis of dialogues with the
help of discourse.

4.1 Introduction

In the providing chapters, the methodology and theoretical framework have been used which are
discussed thoroughly. This chapter focuses on the data analysis from the novel “The Reluctant
Fundamentalist”. The data analysis is based on the text of the novel “The Reluctant
Fundamentalist. This chapter deals with the data analysis at the level of tittle, at the level of
lexical items, at the level of dialogues, and at the level of characters.

4.2 Exploration of the Title

Title of the novel “The reluctant Fundamentalist” explores fundamentalism. Reluctant means
primarily and Fundamentalist means unwilling to do anything. Fundamentalism is a term that
refers specifically to any religious movement which stresses the literal application of its core
principles. It frequently refers to Islamic fundamentalism which is seen as a reactionary and
radical brand of Islam. (burqa, repressive of women, strict adherence to medieval religious
rules). Many Muslims do not drink alcohol which could be a sign of their fundamentalist beliefs.
Hamid also uses the term to refer to Underwood Samson, because it focuses on economic
fundamentals.
(American Dream)a career at Underwood Samson epitomiced the hallmarks of the American
dream – success, opportunity, wealth and status. Even Changez’s accent was associated with
“wealth and power”. He sees himself as “immediately New Yorker”. His role at Underwood
Samson is the pinnacle of his professional career and the culmination of Changez’s dream. “This
is a dream come true”.Changez resigns and rejects the system (after the bombing):

The firm focuses on the “fundamentals”; employees are considered “assets” and are rated
according to their financial worth to the company; company officials value above all else
“maximum productivity”Changez increasingly rejects a system that is competitively focused on
asset-management, which reduces its employees as well as its clients to business “assets” or
liabilities. Their creed values “above all else maximum productivity”… there is no place for
“second best”. This focus often causes a great deal of misery in developing countries.

The word Fundamentalism can convey different meanings and in particular throughout this
novel, it gets far from the ordinary and more common one.
-Religious fundamentalism: strict adherence to ancient religious precepts and rules not being able
to evolve in religious belief.
-Economic fundamentalism: strict adherence to the principles/basics of economy and finance
making money is the only measure of value
-Politic fundamentalism: use of religion for political purposes the executive power is not
separated from the religious authority.

AT the Level of Dialogues

It is even overtly stated that young immigrants could benefit from multicultural policies:
“Students like me were given visas and scholarships, complete financial aid, mind you, and
invited into the ranks of meritocracy. In return, we were expected to contribute our talents to
[American] society, the society we were joining”. (4-5)

Changez is given a place to study at Princeton, becomes a member of the most fashionable clubs
at the university, and is even employed at the prestigious valuation firm Underwood Samson &
Company. The novel illustrates how Changez does not have to renounce his cultural and social
roots, how he preserves his native traditions and mores, even taking advantage of his cultural and
ethnic affiliations when he considers it expedient, as, for example, when he visits his American
girlfriend’s parents: In the end, I took advantage of the ethnic exception clause that is written
into every code of etiquette and wore a starched white kurta of delicately worked cotton over a
pair of jeans. It was a testament to the open-mindedness and – that overused word –
cosmopolitan nature of New York in those days that I felt completely comfortable on the subway
in this attire. (55) The novel thus reproduces and exemplifies a multicultural New York in which
minority groups can preserve their rights as well as flaunt their distinctiveness. Despite
Changez’s annoyance at some Western mores and habits (including the condescending attitude
of the privileged towards the lower classes, or the lack of deference for the old or their elders),
the young man’s relationship with the young American woman, Erica, suggests that the couple
engage with genuine attempts at more than mere multicultural coexistence. In fact, an
intercultural dialogue is established between them, as is reflected by the young woman’s taking
an active interest in Changez’s past and family history, his language and the eating and drinking
habits of his native community. Changez’s story deploys both the young man’s preservation of
his ethnic identity in multicultural America, as well as the discovery of intercultural
commonalities at the level of the contact zones (Pratt 1991), as represented by the firm for which
he works: Two of my five colleagues were women; Wainwright and I were non-white. We were
marvelously diverse… and yet we were not […]

It struck me then –no, I must be honest, it strikes me now–that shorn of hair and dressed in battle
fatigues, we would have been virtually indistinguishable. (4243) The discovery and assumption
of intercultural commonalities is also reflected, for instance, in the close relationship that is
established between Jim – the young man’s supervisor in the firm – and Changez, since both
recognise the relevance of belonging to the same class as something that unites them despite
their very different origins: “In this, Jim and I were indeed similar: he had grown up outside the
candy store, and I had grown up on its threshold as its door was being shut” (81).

Changez is free to move from preserving and even vindicating his ethnic roots to opting for
cultural assimilation whenever it suits him as he does when sent to Manila by his firm and he
imitates and reproduces precisely the American ways he had previously rejected as impolite and
even rude by his ethnic standards: I did something in Manila I had never done before: I
attempted to act and speak, as much as my dignity would permit, more like an American. […]
So I learned to tell executives my father’s age, “I need it now”; I learned to cut to the front of
lines with an extraterritorial smile; and I learned to answer, when asked where I was from, that I
was from New York. (74) The multicultural coexistence and intercultural dialogue experienced
by Changez is rudely interrupted by the September 11 terrorist attacks. The young man suddenly
discovers his world falling apart; he no longer feels at ease in the multicultural society he lives in
and has benefitted from. His efforts at intercultural communication become fruitless.
Significantly enough, this is not a revelation that comes from the outside, but from the inner
recesses from the very moment he finds himself smiling at the tragedy he is witnessing unfolding
on the television.

“I realised that it was not fiction but news. I stared as one – and the other – of the twin towers of
New York’s World Trade Center collapsed. And then I smiled. Yes, despicable as it may sound,
my initial reaction was to be remarkably pleased” (82-83).

Changez soon realises that his American dream is on the verge of destruction when multicultural
and intercultural exchanges are threatened by the fear and suspiciousness provoked by terrorism:
I ignored as best I could the rumors I overhead at the Pak-Punjab Deli: Pakistani cabdrivers were
being beaten to within an inch of their lives; the FBI was raiding mosques, shops, and even
people’s houses; Muslim men were disappearing, perhaps into shadowy detention centers for
questioning or worse.

I reasoned that these stories were mostly untrue; the few with some basis in fact were almost
certainly being exaggerated; and besides, those rare cases of abuse that regrettably did
transpire were unlikely ever to affect me because such things in America as in all countries,
happen to the hapless poor, not to Princeton graduates earning eighty thousand dollars a year.
(107-108)

From that moment onwards, Changez grows a beard, consciously aware of the suspicion he
raises among friends and colleagues, and finally decides to resign from his job and return to
Pakistan where he becomes a university lecturer as well as an anti-American activist. It is
significant that Changez’s story is framed as a dramatic monologue that takes place in Pakistan,
where an older Changez tells of his experiences as an immigrant in America to an unnamed
American traveller in transit he has just met at a tea shop in Lahore. It is through this
conversation that we learn about Changez’s ambivalence as an immigrant in America and this
parallels the American man’s increasing discomfort in Pakistan. What we know about the
mysterious American tourist is deduced from Changez’s own words, which describe the
Westerner’s reactions and prejudices.

“Ah, I see I have alarmed you. Do not be frightened by my beard” (1); “It seems an obvious
thing to say, but you should not imagine that we Pakistanis are all potential terrorists, just as we
should not imagine that you Americans are all undercover assassins” (208-209).

These two quotations reproduce the beginning and the ending of the novel, and they perfectly
illustrate one of the main premises of a text that dwells on the complex relationships between the
East and the West. Neither Changez nor the mysterious American is the stereotypical migrant.
As we have seen, Changez went to America to pursue his studies and he then became a
successful businessman in the area of high finance. He even fell in love with an upper-class
American girl, symbolically named Erica, [Am]Erica. We do not know for certain the reasons for
the American man’s visit to Pakistan. In fact, this mysterious figure could be a simple tourist, or
a member of the American secret police. In any case, the important point is that the novel
consciously avoids the stereotypes about migration and migrants that Papastergiadis cautioned us
about earlier. Notwithstanding this, the condition of both Changez and the mysterious American
as migrants is mainly affected by politics despite the novel’s emphasis on the importance of
culture.

Analysis at the level of Characters

Names are significant in the novel. Changez is actually pronounced as Ching-‐gissand is an Urdu
version of Genghis.Changez’s name,then, is a reference toGenghis Khan – the 13Thcentury
Mongolian warrior who conquered manynations, including Muslim ones. The name doesn’t
necessarily reflect thatChangez is a warrior or that he is intent on conquering other nations, but it
does reflect how his identity is torn. On the one hand he feels that he is aiding Americain its
domination of Muslim countries like Pakistan (in this sense he is likeGenghis), on the other hand
he wants to aid his own Muslim nation.Erica name is part of America. This symbolizes the link
between her journey ofgrief after 9/11 and its parallel in the grief of America as a nation.There
are a number of Christian references in names in The ReluctantFundamentalist. The clearest is
Chris a reference to either Christianor Christ.Erica grief at the loss of Chris he feeling that her
identityisbound to his tells ussomething about the deep rootedChristia identity of America. Juan
Bautista’sname is Spanish for JohnBaptist. John reveals the identity of Christ, just asJuan
Bautista reveals to Changez his real identity as a janissary.

In other words, my blinders were coming off, and I was dazzled and rendered immobile by the
sudden broadening of my arc of vision.
The quotation provides an example of Changez’s state of mind about his illusions. It is about
Changez change of prospective on what he believed good before it.In this quotation the narrator
explains his feelings after he becomes aware about what is happening to his life. His feelings are
conveyed by the use of images (blinders). Blinders derive from blind which means sightless; this
highlights Changez situation before his awareness. This concept is underlined by the use of the
expression arc of vision. All this expressions owns to the sense of sight and refer to Changez
condition: indeed his American Dream didn’t allow him to see the truth

Probably this was why I had been willing to try to take on the persona of Chris, because my own
identify was so fragile

The quotation provides an example of the relation Identity VS multiple identities.The narrative
voice explains the reason why he couldn’t help Erica: he couldn’t gave her a solid base because
he neither know who he was. Indeed he played the part of Chris because he couldn’t be enough
for Erica: his own identity was so fragile. The meeting between the two cultures changed
Changez and he doesn’t own to a single place anymore, he is a world citizen and his beliefs
failed. Initially he didn’t understand this so he tried to personify someone else to find himself; it
didn’t work. Then he accepted his condition and became the Reluctant Fundamentalist: someone
who is not just one culture or one religion believer; he is more cultures and he doesn’t believe in
Fundamentals, because he met the other.

A good vice president was one who got things done, no matter what, and to appeal for assistance
prematurely would be to undermine one's superior's confidence in one's abilities.
.
This quotation provides an example of the changed of Changez's life. In this quotation the
narrative voice shows how American system works.People has to be independent. Indeed a good
vice president is one who got things done. Changez demonstrates his experience about America,
but he doesn’t give a judge about it.

I had returned to Pakistan, but my inhabitation of your country had not entirely ceased. I
remained emotionally entwined with Erica, and I brought something of her with me in Lahore-
or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I lost something of myself to her that was
unable to relocate in the city of my birth.

The quotation provides an example of the difference between cultures and the encounter with the
other culture.Changez is now aware about the cohabitations of two different cultures inside him.
He still brings something of America inside him (inhabitation). On the other side he knows he
left something to Erica-America. He knows he will miss it, but he can’t do anything to take back
it.

America felt justified in bringing so many death of Afghanistan and Iraq, and why America felt
justified in risking so many more deaths by tacitly using India to pressure Pakistan.

Changez finally understood the truth. Now he is aware about his old illusions and he felt again
closer to his origins. He knew himself by knowing the other. This is showed Americans’ sense of
superiority from the other states: to defense their country Americans believed that they can
destroy the others.

“But why are you reaching into your jacket, sir? I detect a glint of metal

I can assure you that I am a believer of nonviolence; the spilling of blood is abhorrent to me,
save in self-defence.

In these lines all the climax of the story reaches its peak. All the little insinuations of Changez
throughout the story may become true. But they are not confirmed such as the all events. The
story continues to maintain its vague characterization. The reader will always stay with doubts
about the end of the story. There is nothing defined in the whole story almost to sustain the thesis
of the Reluctant Fundamentalist: there is nothing good or evil and after all the choices one can
make nothing is really defined, neither the end of the story.Changez justifies himself and prevents
American’s stereotypes. Not all Pakistani are equal. Prejudices are not true. Prejudices are excuses for
the one who doesn’t want to know the truth.Maybe the protagonist doesn’t want to hear more about
the usual judgment of himself and his race so he prevents the interlocutor saying that he is a “believer
of nonviolence”.
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