Practical Assignment IB

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Lisa van den Berg

V4B
09-04-2020

I read The Reluctant Fundamentalist online, here is the link to the PDF.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?
a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxlbWJhNHNlY3Rpb24xfGd4OmJiMWE5
NzkyOWQwYzViOA

Part A

Question 1

1a. What kind of atmosphere best describes the text in extract 1? Name this and provide
examples from the text to support your answer.

In Extract 1, Mohsin Hamid creates an uneasy atmosphere whenever Changez talks about his
work as a university lecturer. Since he began to lead protests against the United States, he
started seeing students individually and mentoring them about politics. If Changez
encourages violence or not is uncertain, as he himself is convinced he is not but the Stranger
does not seem to believe him; “I see from your expression that you do not believe me. No
matter, I am confident of the truth of my words.” For the reader this is also a mystery because
it is written in the perspective of Changez.

When Changez and the Stranger walk through the streets there seems to be a dangerous
atmosphere as the Stranger is very aware of his situation being surrounded by several
Pakistan men; “doing what you are doing in this instant, namely constantly looking over my
shoulder.”. The reader gets the feeling that the Stranger is uncomfortable being followed by a
group of Pakistan men. They are in suspense about if either the Pakistan men are actually
violent or if the Stranger is an undercover agent.

1b. Link the content of extract 1 to the best applicable historical context topic. Name this and
provide examples from the text.

The best applicable historical event to Extract 1 is the war on terror. “even now an excerpt of
it can be seen in the occasional war-on-terror montage.” Changez is talking about the
interview he gave after one of his students was arrested for being involved with an attempt to
assassinate a US coordinator in Pakistan. Changez’s interview had an aggressive tone and
was therefore to be seen in the occasional war-on-terror montage.

Especially the external side of the war on terror is described, as Extract 1 is set in Pakistan.
“I have been plagued by paranoia, by an intermittent sense that I am being observed.” says
Changez. This links to the fact that the US started doing missions to arrest terrorists before
they are even able to enter the US. “But why are you reaching into your jacket, sir? I detect a
glint of metal.” explains the concerns of Changez about the Stranger being a potential
undercover agent working for the US government to arrest/kill Changez.
Question 2

2a. One theme is best applicable to the contents of extract 2. Name this theme, explain how it
is illustrated by extract 2.

The theme that is best applicable to the contents of extract 2 is American imperialism.
America tries to extend their influence on the world by means of for example finance
“finance was a primary means by which the American empire exercised its power.”. In that
way America influenced a large part of the world, for example his home continent Asia.

America also influenced foreigners culturally. The last thing is what happened to Changez
and he realises it in extract 2.; “I was a modern-day janissary, a servant of the American
empire at a time when it was invading a country with a kinship to mine and was perhaps even
colluding to ensure that my own country faced the threat of war.”. With ex-janissary he refers
to what Juan-Bautista told him; janissaries were Christian boys captured by the Ottomans to
be soldiers in a Muslim army, they had to fight their own civilizations. (page 67)

Changez was educated in America and even got a job there. In the time he was there he and
all the others that were educated in America were learned to love America and, in Changez’s
case, were turned against their own country.

2b. Give at least one example of where else we encounter in the novel we encounter the
theme you named above. Give examples from the text to support your answer.

We can also encounter American imperialism in chapter five. This is when Changez arrived
in the Philippines and found out that Manila was wealthier than Pakistan. He wanted to be
respected and therefore did not want to be his Pakistan self. “I attempted to act and speak,
as much as my dignity would permit, more like an American.”. (page 32) He was a little
ashamed sometimes when saying he was from New York, but the admiration he got from his
peers rewarded him and dominated his feeling of shame. Changez is already influenced by
American imperialism at this point because he’d rather depict himself to others as an
American rather than admitting he was from Pakistan.

Another point in the book where we encounter American imperialism is in chapter seven.
Changez hears rumours about foreigners such as Pakistan cab drivers being beaten because of
their ethnicity. “such things invariably happened … to the hapless poor, not to Princeton
graduates earning eighty thousand dollars a year.” (page 44). Changez believed that this
would not happen to him because he learned to love America at Princeton. He saw himself as
an American and did not see any chance of him getting disrespected in any way.

“Images of American troops dropping into Afghanistan for what was described as a daring
raid on a Taliban command post.” (page 46). This is an example of American imperialism
when America used military force to interfere with another nation and use their power to
influence Afghanistan.
Question 3

3. Name the genre to which this novel belongs and, using examples from the novel, explain
why the novel belongs to this genre. Give examples from the text to support your answer.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a Bildungsroman. A Bildungsroman describes the

development of the personality of a character. In The Reluctant Fundamentalist this character
is Changez. His experiences changed his view on several subjects which massively
influenced his life.

Changez starts telling his story about America to the Stranger (an American). At the
beginning of his story he clarifies that he was very grateful for being able to study in
America. “Princeton inspired in me the feeling that my life was a film in which I was the star
and everything was possible.” (page 6). America was the country he had always dreamed of
to study at and he was thrilled that he was one of the few who got the privilege to go to the
University of Princeton.

At the end of the novel though, Changez hates the United States and even leads protests
against it. If he is a terrorist remains a question but there is a chance. “America was engaged
only in posturing. … Such an America had to be stopped” (page 74). Changez does not like
America in any way and says it has to be stopped.

His point of view on America has drastically changed and it changed him as a person too. He
went from being an optimistic foreigner in a new country to being an absolute hater to that
same country. When he came to America, he believed to having a bright future there with a
good job, but at the end of the novel he has returned to Pakistan which in the end was better
for him (he didn’t realise that when coming to the US for Princeton).
Question 4

4. Explain why the concept of meritocracy can be considered hypocritical by the end of the
novel. Give examples from the text to support your answer.

At the beginning of the novel, meritocracy is highly valued. An example of this is that
Changez is accepted into Princeton aside from the fact that he is from a country which is way
less wealthy than America. Students are selected by ability and skill, not by their wealth or
privilege.

When America was suddenly attacked by the Twin Towers though, these principles changed.
Patriotism increased in the United States and New York, from which Changez thought it had
a different culture, suddenly united with the rest of America. New rules were implemented
which effected Changez in many ways. Stronger security was implemented in the US and
Changez started to see that he was treated differently because he wasn’t an actual American.
This was due to the strong patriotism that was called upon by the government.

Being an American was a privilege and started to be more important than the ability/skill of a
person. “What is the purpose of your trip to the United States?” she asked me. “I live here,”
I replied. “That is not what I asked you, sir,” she said. “What is the purpose of your trip to
the United States?” (page 35). This was just after the 9/11 attacks when Changez was
returning to the US from a business trip to the Philippines. He is immediately distrusted
because of where he comes from. Unlike his good job in America and him being just as
American as the Americans being born in the US, he is discriminated against because of his
ethnicity.
Question 5

5. Describe the development of the Changez’s opinion of Underwood Samson throughout the
Reluctant Fundamentalist. Give examples from the text to support your answer.

In the beginning, Changez is very positive about Underwood Samson and tells the Stranger
that he would really like to work there. He says that it pays well and that after one or two
years of working there you have a high chance of being accepted into Harvard so it is like a
dream job for him.“that Underwood Samson had the potential to transform my life as surely
as it had transformed his, making my concerns about money and status things of the distant
past.” (page 11). This is the moment just before he knows he got the job and he is still very
positive about Underwood Samson.

“And that was precisely what I continued to do, more often than not with both skill and
enthusiasm.” (page 46). In the middle of the book, Changez is still quite positive about
Underwood Samson and later realises he didn’t have the time to form an opinion back then
because he was way too busy focussing on his job.

Later through the book, Changez starts to realise that Underwood Samson is not the future-
promising company he thought it was at the beginning “Of course I was struggling! Of
course I felt torn! I had thrown in my lot with the men of Underwood Samson… when all
along I was predisposed to feel compassion for those… whose lives the empire
thought nothing of overturning for its own gain.”(page 68). He realises he has been a
victim of American imperialism and does not want to have anything to do with Underwood
Sampson anymore.

Changez’s opinion of Underwood Sampson throughout the Reluctant Fundamentalist clearly

changed a lot. It is comparable to the change of his on opinion on America. At first it was
positive, and he saw a bright future ahead, but at the end he found out that it was a mistake
and has a kind of hate to them.
Part B

6b: Describe the development of the relationship between Changez and the Stranger
throughout the Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Throughout the story, the Stranger never seems to talk in the book, though the times he does
it is not written down clearly. The reader can merely deduce, from the response Changez
gives to something the Stranger might have said, what he has said.

At the beginning of the book the Stranger is startled by the sudden appearance of Changez
and did not engage a conversation himself. He is interested in his story though because he
keeps listening. The only thing the reader finds out is that he is American “How did I know
you were American? No, not by the color of your skin;” (page 5).

Since they have been talking and eating for a quite while it has become dark. “Where are you
staying? The Pearl Continental, you say? I will walk you.” (page 69). As they walk to his
hotel their conversation continues and sometimes the Stranger seems to ask some questions to
Changez. The Stranger is however scared of the group of Pakistan men that is following
them, but Changez assures him that it is okay. They seem to have gotten to know each other
more but the reader does get the feeling that the Stranger does not fully trust Changez.

As they arrive at his hotel, the Stranger reaches into his pocket which makes Changez
question him. The cliff-hanger is; is the Stranger an undercover agent looking for Changez or
just an innocent tourist? Throughout the book the reader did not quite get to know the
Stranger. Just that he is American, and he must have travelled a lot in his life. “Have you
been to the East, sir? You have! Truly, you are well-traveled for an American” (page 31)

The story is told from the perspective of Changez and he is therefore always talking. At the
beginning of the book the reader can create an image of him. A foreign man with a beard.
“Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America” (page 5). They can also
imagine he is quite social as he starts a conversation with a foreigner out of the blue.

At the end of the book the reader knows a lot about Changez, as he has been talking all the
time, and can be characterized more elaborately.

Changez is a man from Pakistan. He has a Pakistan like appearance as he was often looked to
as a terrorist. He has a beard which did not help with him being recognized as an American
citizen ““Look, man,” he said, “I don’t know what’s up with the beard, but I don’t think it’s
making you Mister Popular around here.”” (page 59). Through the period of time in which
he lived in America before the 9/11 attacks he was trying hard to fit in and get a good job
there. His perspective changed after the attacks though. He returns to Pakistan where he
becomes a university lecturer with a strong political view on the US. During his stay in
America, he met a woman named Erica (note that that name is in America) and he has a
complicated relationship with her. She cannot seem to let the boyfriend who died some time
ago go and it is very hard for Changez.
The Stranger and Changez either became friends through the book or it was somehow a fake
interest from one of them. Changez could be a terrorist planning to kill him or hurt the
Stranger in any way. On the other hand, the Stranger can be an undercover agent from the US
who is in Pakistan to arrest/kill Changez. The reader is therefore left behind with a lot of
questions to consider after finishing the book.