Jaime Bhattacharyya

Mrs. Lesnick

IB English HL

22 August 2022

To what extent is Changez’s relationship with Erica a parallel to his relationship with America?

“If you have ever, sir, been through a breakup of a romantic relationship that involved great love, you will
perhaps understand what I experienced.”

In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Moshin Hamid utilizes Changez’s relationship with Erica as a

symbol for America and its reality. Although word play and rhyme make a link between Erica and

America obvious, this correlation is considerably more significant. Throughout the narrative and shown in

the epigraph, Hamid emphasizes the complexity of his experience in America by comparing it to a

difficult breakup. This demonstrates America's betrayal of Hamid in addition to his love and passion

towards this country. In the novel, Hamid illustrates the transformation and reality of America through

symbolism and shifts.

Despite the fact that this narration predominantly focuses on Changez's narrative and experiences

in America, his relationship with Erica's is significant to his relationship to America. This parallel is

apparent from the beginning of the novel when Changez first meets Erica, “I could not prevent myself

from offering to carry her backpack – so stunningly regal was she”(Hamid17). The word “regal” is

connotated to express Changez’s admiration and attraction to Erica ultimately symbolizing his initial

views on America. From the beginning, Changez came into the United States idolizing the American

dream the same way he idolized Erica, who was “perfect” in his eyes. As Chagez’s relationship with Erica

develops throughout the course of the novel, so do his views on America. Hamid clearly utilizes the

distinct shift after the clopas of the Twin Towers to symbolize Erica for America, “she was disappearing

into a powerful nostalgia, one from which only she could choose whether or not to return” (Hamid113).
Erica's nostalgia serves as an illustration for how she has shifted and become more knowledgeable of her

authentic self following 9/11. As Erica symbolizes America it is shown that, “America, too, was

descending into a dangerous nostalgia at that time”(Hamid15). This shift succeeding 9/11 reflects the

underlying principles and essence of America. Through both Erica and America Changez is now capable

of perceiving what he previously could not see, “I had always thought of America as a nation that looked

forward; for the first time I was struck by its determination to look back. (Hamid115). Chagez now

recognizes Erica's reluctance to let go of her deceased boyfriend as indication of America's inability to

move past their previous dominant aggressive nature. Changez is betrayed by America for he is targeted

and labeled as a terrorist when he is an educated immigrant from Pakistan. Overall, Chagez’s experiences

in America can be compared to a “breakup of a romantic relationship that involved great love” although

he had a significant amount of ambition and love for America and Erica he was also betrayed and learned

the harsh reality of being an immigrant in America.

Throughout The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Moshin Hamid uses Changez’s relationship with

Erica as a parallel to his views on America in addition to utilizing symbolism and shifts to communicate

America’s reality. Hamid emphasized and expresses this idea by using the parallel between Erica and

America. Through the collapse of the World Trade Center, both Erica and America were exposed to their

truth. Ultimately, Hamid depicts the reality of America, demonstrating that although first being flawless

and enticing, much to how Changez initially perceived Erica, like a broken romance, America and Erica

are unable to get beyond the past.