‘In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Hamid makes it very difficult for readers to like Changez.

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Do you agree?

Changez, the protagonist in Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist, is at war with America.
After the September 11 attacks, there was an outpouring of American patriotism and an increased
suspicion directed at those of Middle Eastern appearance. Changez is portrayed as victim of these
unjust hate crimes, evoking sympathy in the reader in light of his unfair treatment. Yet, from an
American reading, Changez’s frequent and scathing criticisms about American culture, attitudes and
politics ultimately cause many American readers to reject Changez. While Changez’s treatment is
indeed unfair and unjust, his harsh comments about American way of life will ultimately cause
readers to reject him.

The collapse of New York’s World Trade Centre during the 9/11 attacks was an event that shook
the world, having a heavy influence on the workings of The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Hamid
depicts the outpouring of patriotism by Americans in his novel, where the American flag “invaded
New York” after the attacks. Hamid also shows his readers of how there was an increased suspicion
and a growing number of hate crimes directed at those of Middle Eastern or Muslim appearance,
where cabdrivers were being beaten within an “inch of their lives”. Changez is a victim of these hate
crimes and increased suspicion and the way he is treated positions readers to feel sympathetic
toward his character in the light of such unjust treatment. In an unprovoked attack, Changez is
called a “fucking Arab”, even made to “strip down to his boxers” at the airport and “dispatched for
secondary inspection” when the airport official refused to accept his life and work as a legitimate
“purpose” for entering the United States. Also, Changez felt “uncomfortable in his own face”, “guilty”
and “under suspicion” on the airplane, within his work environment at Underwood Samson and on
many other occasions throughout the novel. These events exemplify the xenophobia that plagued
America after the 9/11 attacks, readers being encouraged to feel sympathetic towards Changez’s
unfair treatment in Hamid’s portrayal of the immediate social context of post-9/11 New York in The
Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Yet, from an American reading of the novel, Hamid makes it very difficult for his audience to life
Changez, given the frequent and scathing criticisms he makes about American culture and
attitudes. American culture is depicted in a negative and superficial light; popular culture icons such
as “Britney Spears” and “Gwyneth Paltrow” are what represent American within the novel. These
superficial icons are juxtaposed with the rich history of Pakistan and Lahore where Changez
frequently references “Urdu poets” and various historical tales, such as how Old Anarkali is named
after a “Courtesan immured for loving a prince.” These comparisons highlight the shallowness of
American culture and encourage American readers to reject Changez and his criticisms. Similarly,
Changez also presents his own biased views of the way he perceives the attitude of Americans
from the elite class during his stay in America. Changez comments, via first-person narration and
monologue structure, of the “ease with which [Americans] parted with their money” and their “self-
righteous” attitudes in dealing with their elders. Changez is also a victim of Erica’s father’s
“American undercurrent of condescension”, when he carelessly states his views about Pakistan’s
political and economic stability. Ultimately, Changez’s biased critiques about American culture and
attitudes are at odds with the novel’s American audience, positioning these readers to reject
Changez.

Furthermore, Changez also makes insensitive and harsh comments about the September 11
attacks and American politics. His “initial reaction” to feel “remarkably pleased” at the “symbolism” of
the collapse of the World Trade Centre is likely to exacerbate the resentment directed towards him
from the novel’s American readers. His careless and insensitive comments make it very difficult for
American readers to life Changez. However, his critiques about American politics are also scathing;
Hamid elucidates Changez’s accusations about America being a political fundamentalist with the
use of allegory. By exploiting this extended metaphor, the economic fundamentalism of Underwood
Samson can be interpreted to be the political fundamentalism shown by America. Hamid makes this
link explicit with deliberate naming: the initials of Underwood Samson are the same as that of the
United States. America’s political fundamentalism is portrayed to readers through Changez’s
critiques: “your country’s constant interference in the affairs of others was insufferable.” America’s
fundamental desire to bolster is political power is also shown when Changez comments on how
“America maintained a strict neutrality” between India and Pakistan, “a position that favoured” the
more powerful of the two countries. It is evident that American is portrayed in a negative light
throughout Hamid’s novel; Changez’s criticisms about American politics are scathing and harsh.
Ultimately, America readers will have a difficult time in engaging with the text’s central protagonist,
for his comments denigrate the culture and society in which these readers live.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist portrays Changez’s aspirations towards his American dream. On his
journey, he is the victim of hate crimes and increased suspicion after the 9/11 attacks, these events
attempting to elicit sympathy from readers in light of unjust abuse and xenophobia. Despite this,
Changez’s criticisms about American culture, attitudes, politics and the September 11 attacks
position Amercian readers to feel resentment towards his views and beliefs. Hamid’s
characterisation of Changez and the portrayal of the values he possesses ultimately make it very
difficult for readers to like him. Yet, it is through the author’s embodiment of Changez in which
Hamid makes his key messages about the United States.