The Reluctant Fundamentalist | Analysis

‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ by Mohsin Hamid is a dramatic monologue of the protagonist in the novel, Changez, a man who graduates from the Prestigious Princeton University in America and gets a job working as a “fundamentalist” in a valuation firm named Underwood Samson, which had always been his dream. The novel starts of with Changez meeting an unknown and a mysterious American man who seemed to be a very suspicious character. Changez offers to take the American to his favorite café for a perfect cup of tea. It is here that Changez begins to narrate his story to the American; telling him about his life, his home, his identity and his perspective about America. Changez narrates some of his most valuable memories to the American who quietly sits and listens to him.

The term “home” in this particular novel does not have a specific meaning. It is not limited to a geographical area where one lives with other family members. Its meaning is much more vast. Changez first refers to home ,while having a conversation with Erica as “eight cousins, all in the same compound-a single boundary wall surrounding the plot of land my grandfather left to his sons” ” (The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Penguin Books, Page 19). Born in a large traditional family , he did not enjoy much freedom. His thoughts and behavior restricted him which made him very shy and polite. Erica told Changez, ” You give off this strong sense of home” (The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Penguin Books, Page 19). This is undoubtedly true. Changez showed great deal of belongingness towards home. Throughout the novel he has often been seen comparing various visuals in New York to those back home in Lahore and how his culture which he learnt as he grew up in Lahore was different from that in America. Erica and Changez though very different from each other, show a very strong belonging towards their home and Identity. Erica being a carefree girl is confident about sunbathing topless on a beach while Changez feels shy seeing this sight. Changez admits ” It is remarkable, I must say, how being in Pakistan heightens one’s sensitivity to the sight of a woman’s body”(The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Penguin Books, Page 26). This is an indicator of both his home as well as his identity. Even after living in America for 4 years, Changez due to his cultural upbringing maintains the dignity and a sense of respect, which has become his identity.

The definition of home changes in the novel when Erica tells Changez about her boyfriend, Chris who died of cancer last year. Erica really loved him and described Chris to Changez with great emotion of how they had been best friends long before they started dating. Erica admits, “So I kind of miss home, too…Except my home was a guy with long, skinny fingers”(The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Penguin books, Page 28). This is symbolic of the fact that home is just not a place where one lives. It is a place where one feels comfortable; a place where we feel we belong.

The sense of identity is instilled in this novel right from the start when Changez secures admission in Princeton University on scholarship. Only one other Pakistani has managed to secure place in this prestigious university. Changez had been confident of his talent from the start and said “I knew in my senior year that I was something special…I was confident of getting any job I wanted” “(The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Penguin books, Page 5). Further when Changez is shortlisted for an interview with Underwood Samson, he meets Jim, in charge of analyst recruiting who saw a lot of potential in him and told him “So I get where you’re coming from, Changez. You’re hungry, and that’s a good thing in my book. “(The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Penguin books, Page 10). Another particular incident when Changez travelled in a limo with Jim and other colleagues Jim noticed that Changez quietly sat while others kept chatting and told Changez “You’re a watchful guy. You know where that comes from?…It comes from feeling out of place… believe me I know” (The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Penguin Books, Page 43). Here the author compares Jim and Changez of how both of them had to work hard to reach where they were today. Changez just like Jim had come from a different social background and had to put in more effort than a native to establish himself in America. It had never been easy for people like them, as their original identities made it difficult to adapt to a country like America. Yet they somehow managed to be successful in the country without giving away their original identities. Changez is defined by success and calls the land of America where” everything is possible” but after the 9/11 it all changed for him. He felt he has lost his identity and started thinking of himself as a tourist. The 9/11 had triggered an identity crisis for him. [1] Except Changez, Erica also seems to be looking for a new identity after her boyfriend’s death. She feels she has lost her home and did not feel “solid” anymore.

The book “The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid talks about of a lot of things. It displays a very strong meaning of home, identity and belongingness. It depicts how Changez compares things in America to how they were back in Lahore and how they make people like him different from Americans. It also shows how on shifting from Lahore to New York everything changed for him; the people changed, the surroundings changed but still Changez without compromising with his identity earned great success in America and how 9/11 changed everything for him and left him searching for his identity.