How does one define a reluctant fundamentalist? To be ‘reluctant’ is to have strong feelings of disinclination towards something. A fundamentalist is defined as an individual that ______. This being true, the term ‘fundamentalist’ in Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist is employed in a rather ironic fashion as Changez, the main character is in constant conflict between his Pakistani and American identities. After a series of psychologically confronting events, and his understanding of his gradual transformation, Changez realises many things about his identity, one of them being that he will never be American. The decay of his relationship with Erica is an embodiment for the deterioration of his relationship with his American identity.
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Beautiful buildings, fluttering possibilities and of course, the diversity that is of New York. He refers to his new life in America as “ a dream come true” (Hamid, 3). “ Princeton inspired in [him] the feeling that [his] life was a film in which [he] was the start and everything was possible” (3). Movies, are of course fiction. Hamid’s choice to make Changez refer to his new adventure as “a dream” and “a movie” foreshadows what will happen later, as this implies that it is but a mere illusion. Additionally, his image of Erica is rather flawless, as was his image of America. Changez describes her as “ ha[ving] presence, an uncommon magnetism. Documenting her effect on her habitat, a naturalist would likely have compared her to a lioness: strong, sleek, and invariably surrounded by her pride” (WHAT PAGE?). This description of Erica correlates with that of the one for America. In the beginning of his life in America, he saw both America and Erica as seamless creatures whose paths he crosses to forever change his life, however, this image continuously decays until it becomes but ash. As it decays, Changez realises that he will never belong to the America that shaped …show more content…
Changez tries to enter her, however, “ [he] [finds] it difficult to enter her; it [is] as though she [is] not aroused. She sa[ys] nothing while [he] [is] insider her, but [he] could see her discomfort, and so [he] forced [him]self to stop” (90) . Changez tries to “fit in” Erica, but fails to do so. It is not an act of naturalness, it is full of force. Just as Erica, America was not aroused by the fact of being culturally diverse after 9/11. They did not want what was different, it made them uncomfortable and unfortunately, Changez was different. Erica clearly proves to Changez he is different as she talks to him about Chris. The second time they attempt intercourse, Changez “consent[s] to play the part of a man not [him]self” (113). At this stage, Erica has not yet accepted the impermanence and mortality that is with life. In this manner, she cannot get rid of her image of Chris, even with Changez there. This is the period in which Changez is “hungry” for an intimate relationship with American financial success and power, and becomes disillusioned with an America “increasingly giving itself over to a dangerous nostalgia” and hints at the “end” to which America is heading, especially through the backdrop interplay between the quiet unnamed/everyman American and a suspicious, hostile
Beautiful buildings, fluttering possibilities and of course, the diversity that is of New York. He refers to his new life in America as “ a dream come true” (Hamid, 3). “ Princeton inspired in [him] the feeling that [his] life was a film in which [he] was the start and everything was possible” (3). Movies, are of course fiction. Hamid’s choice to make Changez refer to his new adventure as “a dream” and “a movie” foreshadows what will happen later, as this implies that it is but a mere illusion. Additionally, his image of Erica is rather flawless, as was his image of America. Changez describes her as “ ha[ving] presence, an uncommon magnetism. Documenting her effect on her habitat, a naturalist would likely have compared her to a lioness: strong, sleek, and invariably surrounded by her pride” (WHAT PAGE?). This description of Erica correlates with that of the one for America. In the beginning of his life in America, he saw both America and Erica as seamless creatures whose paths he crosses to forever change his life, however, this image continuously decays until it becomes but ash. As it decays, Changez realises that he will never belong to the America that shaped …show more content…
Changez tries to enter her, however, “ [he] [finds] it difficult to enter her; it [is] as though she [is] not aroused. She sa[ys] nothing while [he] [is] insider her, but [he] could see her discomfort, and so [he] forced [him]self to stop” (90) . Changez tries to “fit in” Erica, but fails to do so. It is not an act of naturalness, it is full of force. Just as Erica, America was not aroused by the fact of being culturally diverse after 9/11. They did not want what was different, it made them uncomfortable and unfortunately, Changez was different. Erica clearly proves to Changez he is different as she talks to him about Chris. The second time they attempt intercourse, Changez “consent[s] to play the part of a man not [him]self” (113). At this stage, Erica has not yet accepted the impermanence and mortality that is with life. In this manner, she cannot get rid of her image of Chris, even with Changez there. This is the period in which Changez is “hungry” for an intimate relationship with American financial success and power, and becomes disillusioned with an America “increasingly giving itself over to a dangerous nostalgia” and hints at the “end” to which America is heading, especially through the backdrop interplay between the quiet unnamed/everyman American and a suspicious, hostile