The Reluctant Fundamentalist Review

The Reluctant Fundamentalist: A Comprehensive Review

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a short story written by a Pakistani man living in America. To tell his life story to an American alien, the protagonist employs a frame story type of dialogue. The Resultant Fundamentalist has received widespread acclaim, and the author has received many awards for his inventiveness. The book addresses critical issues such as love and romance, politics, bigotry, youth unemployment, and sexism. The book symbolizes the life of Gentiles prior to September 11, 2001, as well as the history of a world vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Analytically, the character, Changez reveals the dark time minorities especially foreigners, go through when regarding social and political issues. In this essay, I will show you the comprehensive review of this shortly by analyzing the major themes unearthed.

The Story of Changez

The story starts from the meeting point between an American stranger and Changez. He easily notices that the person is a stranger who is probably on a mission and accord him accommodation assistance. During their tea session, Changez narrates his life experience as a student in Princeton University and after graduation. Changez life was good when he was living in Princeton after graduation till the attack that took place on the 11th that demolished his dreams in America prompting his return to Lahore, Pakistan. From the book, the narrator compares and contrasts different life aspects in American and Pakistan. His judgments run across how foreigners are treated regarding love and compassion, seek for understanding and sympathy to American visitors. Mohsin uses flashback, to illustrate how Changez suffered in searching for love from an American lady. He tells us how he met Erica, a writer by profession. His consistent commitment to the girl does not yield fruits as the girls still mourn the death of her beloved childhood friend Chris. Changez advances to have sex with Erica get shuttered since the feelings do not allow sexual arousal. His metaphoric use of Erica in the story attracts the reader’s attention by a fictions bat and fireflies in the cities. But the narrator mocks the modern people who lack morality and shame. He copulates with Erica in public by deceiving her to pretend that he is Chris.

Career Development and Struggles

Secondly, the narrator explores the difference in career development between the two countries. Despite graduating with best grades from Princeton University, his professional dreams when he lands his first job in Underwood Samson. Changez works hard to keep up with his dream of acquiring a better job in America forgetting about Pakistan. He notes that the population of America is two times higher than Pakistan. Consequently, there is a high number of unemployed candidates from better colleges than Princeton. The truth hits him harder during his industrial attachment in Underwood Samson when he was given an assignment to Chile. Changez explains his demoralization in the job despite being the smartest and hardworking boy. He leaves resigns from the uncompleted task to look for Erica to start a new life but things backfire on the reception of Erica health and missing stories. This constitutes Changez problems that make him grow long beards and casual wearing styles that make him look like a terrorist.

American Ambition and Anonymity

The narrator seems to believe that Erica would make his dreams come true. Recalling their fantastic moment that leaves him with a speculation of brighter future. Imperatively, the narrator intended to marry Erica, but the doors close so soon for him. Likewise to American Dream, Changez own fantasies turns in to reality and disappointments. His efforts to manage an urban life bore fruitless outcomes drawing him closer to Filipino driver rather than the white Underwood Samson’s colleague. He loses his talents through a knee injury, quits his job because of Erica. This entire life struggle is never visible to a literal American citizen or a Pakistan child. Many at times we tend to think that greener pastures are on the other side of the road till you visit the neighborhood.

America's Post-9/11 Fear

Also, the narrator’s description of Erica’s affection to Chris is concurrent to American’s ambition after the 9.11 tragedy. Erica who cannot forget the dead Chris for love represents the American who cannot stand to the realities of the 9.11. He supposedly says that the stranger seems to be on a mission. Ideally, this portrays how the Americans are fearful after the attack. In the assessment of how the stranger looked energetic, younger but does he is very careful with the tea served. The narrator states, “for the first time I was struck by its determination to look back” (Mohsin, 2007 pp.130-131). He notices the situational change of expression from the American. He, therefore, interludes that he realized something unusual concerning the soldiers' reporting in uniforms and flags addressing the cameras in war rooms. As a foreigner, he shies off turning his head to an opposite black and white television (pp.130-131). The narrator sympathizes with America groaning for the lives lost during the attacks despite the government promise of security. The situation shows us of the foreigners who flew their countries to enjoy the lives in the United States but faces the reality of life that defeated them to understand up-to-date.

The Fragile Identity of Changez

The author also uses the act of anonymity when Changez persuades Erica to assume that he is Chris. He can survive in cities, but he positions himself in a fragile identity. The fragile identifies can enable him to live in both counties but only if he works smart. The can opt to live in Princeton with graduated Princetonians campus as well as Pakistan but only if he can modify his looks and identity to rhyme with the situations. After the 9.11 attack, Changez abandoned being a New Yorker and began to tell people that he was a foreigner especially when he left his beard to grow.

Conclusion

In conclusion, The Reluctant Fundamentalist reminds us of the Home is the Best proverb. As earlier mentioned, the narrator is quite obsessed with the luxurious life in New York and do not think of going back home. Changez expects to make changes to his personal life from the United States. Foreigners go to acquire new skills from developed countries to help their country of origin. The story is closely related to America Dream to fight terrorism. Changez life dreams come to reality with life experiences. Despite coming to the US with a bright mind to succeed and get a better job, get a wife, he leaves where he is a suspect with long beards and shoddy clothes. However much, the story moves at suspense without knowing what happened after departing from the café. We discovered that Changez later became a successful lecturer back in his town Lahore. The transition from street storyteller to motivational professors alternatively implies that American can use different tactics to achieve their dreams. Changez finishes by comparing himself with a similar character in “The Heart of Darkness”, Kurtz. They both steeped on new lands but learned different life experiences.

Reference

Hamid, M. (2007). My Reluctant Fundamentalist. Powells’s Books.