The Reluctant Fundamentalist Analysis

Fundamentalism is a strict adherence to a set of ideas or beliefs that are conservative in nature. It is a pejorative term usually associated with religious fanaticism. Usually, this is what comes to mind when there is mention of a fundamentalist. However, in Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist starring the protagonist Changez, a Pakistani Princetonian who is a top-ranked employee at a prestigious New York valuation firm, turns out not to be an Islamic fundamentalist, but a reluctant fundamentalist of US Capitalism. Hamid challenges readers to reevaluate their preconceived notions and prejudices of people different from themselves in post 9/11 America by employing the use of motifs, aphorism, and suspense, to create a conflation

The American is a new man who is neither a European, nor his direct descendant. He is a strange mix of blood which cannot be found in any other country. The American is described as a person whose grandfather was an Englishman, his mother was Dutch and who has married a Frenchwoman. The American is a person who has left behind all his ancient manners and prejudices, and has received new ones from the mode of life he has embraced, the rank he holds and the government he obeys. A person becomes an American after being received in the broad lap of the great Alma Mater, and he becomes melted down into the new race of men whose posterity and efforts could transform the world in the days to come.

The way in which this story is told I find is very unique. The Book Of Unknown Americans is written in a first person perpective where each chaacter gets to personnaly introduce themselves and explain their life story. When reading this book it almost feels as if you are talking one on one with a close friend. Henriquez has a way of pulling your right through text and submerging you into the same word as the characters throughout the book. Henriquez makes a point of keeping the characters thoughts and emotions very clear, its as if we are the character. Its very easy to realte to eachinduvidual in the story, which is purposefully done by the auther in order to make Henriquez message clear on what she wants us, the reader, to take away from her fictional book. No matter where we come from, we all want the same things in life, to find love, safety, and a sense of purpose inthis world. Just becasue osmeone is a foreigner does not mean that their ambitions what they strive for in life are foreign concepts as well. We are all human and must treat one another as nothing less.

“Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America”(Hamid 1) the protagonist of The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, Changez states in the beginning of the novel. Changez is a Pakistani man who comes to the United States for an education and gets a job. Living the American dream, Changez was seen as a “polished, well-dressed man” (Hamid 8). After four and a half years of living in the United States, he slowly loses a sense of who he is. After the occurrence of 9/11, Changez grew his beard and we start seeing a different side of him. Changez’s beard represents his inner hardships surrounding his identity and is associated with orientalism.

In today's world there is one thing that can be found across the globe. This thing is highly influential, loved by many, and of of the most innovative things to ever be seen. What is this thing? It is America. The modern world would not be the same without it. But what does it mean to be American? To be an American, you must follow one principle: you must chase the American dream. Being American is not about being successful or even having money. It is the simple concept of chasing the American dream not succeeding in achieving it. This essay will explain the American dream and how it relates to the American identity in three ways: Through classic American literature, a study of historical documents, and a close look

In today’s society, the variation of social, cultural, political, and economic life mirrors our Founding Fathers dreams. Since then, America has learned to adjust and accept every citizen's differences with the help of The Bill of Rights, US Constitution, Northwest Ordinance, and the Declaration of Independence. As these documents represent the development of America then, books like the Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore reflect the variations of social, cultural, political, and economic life today. Over time, the definition of being an American has evolved and molded with society to make what the United States citizens know now.

In the early years of America’s foundation, a powerful air of uncapped potential, the desire for expansion and individual identification enamored the American people. Progress was inevitable as was cultural definition. But as time progressed, the feeling of unlimited strength, time and space transformed into something that, for better or worse, was no longer shared by later poets. Those of the “New World” came to realize that their world never really managed to leave behind the faults of the “Old.” Societal tension rose as different poets and authors struggled to pin down the direction of American culture and its ideals. When no solid idea was able to capture American culture adequately, the concept of an ever-evolving American identity

There are many aspects to what it means to be an American. Freedom and equality are two things that defines you as an American. Also, depending on the area you live can have an impact on if you are considered an American. There are many things that surprised me throughout the essays in the book. What surprised me the most was the fact that we all had immigrants in our family that came to the United States from another country, so they were at one time immigrants. Also, I never really thought how America is a lot of different people coming together with all different religions.

The want for change and that chance to be different is an aspect of being an American. The opportunities that are present in America have helped shape the meaning of what it is to be called an American. The diversity of the people and the work within America shape the people living within. American “cities become increasingly mixed with immigrants from Asia, Africa and Latin America” (Keating and Karklis). The pride that is shown in how people live, and their actions reflect their own meaning of what it means to live in America. The strength of the people and the bonds that have been made also are part of the meaning of the name American. There are thousands of descriptions of what American means because America is so

In The Next Christians, Gabe Lyons presents how the next generation of Christians turns the tide by bringing the truth of the Gospel to bear on our changing, secular society. While many Christians are worrying about the growing disregard for Christians and deviation from our faith, Gabe holds an optimistic attitude and believes now we are restorers, and Christianity’s best day are yet to come

Since America has been created, tons of people have been travelling here and starting new lives striving for the success they deserve. Different aspects can add up to the identity of America. America has been widely shaped by citizen’s uniqueness, their ethnicity, and chances they have to become successful. Though there is a lot that molds American Identity, America has been shaped due to different lifestyles, which is illustrated through people’s individuality, religions and race, and opportunities. Everyone has a different lifestyle, which in the big picture creates American Identity.

Throughout the decades of new beginnings, new laws, new Presidents and new ways of life for the American people, not only have we grew accustomed to the different views and structures of the way our ancestors valued their own lives in America, but we also have grew accustom to our own. The way we value our ideas and beliefs determine the type of person we are and gives others an outlook on our substantial new themes of life that somehow mix together into becoming a born and raised American citizen. Throughout our readings we have seen many of these themes and concepts brought up and talked about by many readers. My first primary theme that I will be going over in my work is America as the Land of Opportunity, second will be the American Success

Each character in the novel has their own interpretation of the ‘American Dream – the pursuit of happiness’ as they all lack happiness due to the

Throughout Mosin Hamid’s “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” there is a continual undercurrent of tension, with the main point of focus centred on Changez’s shifting identity. This being said, Changez is not the sole focus of the framed novel, with a mix of character’s actions and emotions building up the rise in tension. As the novel is told to us through the words of Changez, he is obviously considered to be the protagonist; the source of a large part of the angst which resonates from the text. Another prominent character in the novel, Erika, pulls away from the complete focus on Changez, adding in on another of the main sources of

What is a reluctant fundamentalist? To be reluctant is to have feelings of aversion. A fundamentalist is one who holds on to any set of principles. Then the term of being a reluctant fundamentalist is somewhat an ironic term in this context, because our main character is a person who is not sure what beliefs he should adhere to. The novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” is written by Mohsin Hamid and was published in 2007. Our main character, Changez, struggles to find his identity between being an American or Pakistani through certain events in his life.