Jordan’s Comments (group member since Oct 21, 2016)

Jordan’s comments from the Arters AP Literature 2016-17 group.

¨The Reluctant Fundamentalist¨ by Mohsin Hamid was an insightful novel narrated from the perspective of Changez, an American immigrant from Pakistan. Through Changezś perspective, the reader is able to experience and discover the potential and beauty of America, and also experience the tragic flaws that American society possesses, especially in regards to immigrants or outsiders.
The book is told in the form of flashbacks between Changez´s time in America and present day where Changez is telling his story to an American man. As the story progresses, Changez's experience in America is slowly revealed, but the American man´s reason for being there is not.
Changez´s journey in America begins when he attends Princeton. He describes his competitiveness and willingness to succeed. Upon graduation, he is offered a job at the prestigious analyst firm, Underwood Samson. Throughout the book, Changez struggles with balancing his Pakistani identity and ties with his desire to be successful in America. His experience at Underwood Samson really illuminates the inner conflict within Changez about his desire to be successful, but also remain his true self with his Pakistani morals.
Changez travels to Greece with classmates for a vacation early in the novel. He enjoys his time and the beautiful sights. He reserved nature is revealed. Changez is a very observational and analytical young men. Over the course of the trip, he makes many observations about his classmates that dissatisfy him. These traits include their free spending and feelings of natural superiority in the way they treat others. Changez feels they do not respect elders as much as they should. This trip is another well written concise example that showed Changez´s simultaneous admiration and frustration with America and America's morals.
At Underwood Samson, Changez channels his inner competitor and is able to be the top in his class. He is given the opportunity to do work in the Philippines. While there he feels he morphing into an assertive American. He soon is doing things that once bothered or puzzled him about Americans. However, there are moments in the book where he questions his actions and if they truly reflect who he is. While in the Philippines, he receives harsh stares and wonders if this is due to what he has become- a powerful and successful American.
Once he returns to New York, Changez continues to meet with Erica. He discovers more about her tragic past and their relationship grows closer. However, Ericaś mental state is still questionable because she has not emotionally recovered from the death of her long time boyfriend, Chris. Changez desperately wants to be enough for Erica and to help her recover, but she continues to spiral deeper into depression. During this time, 9/11 occurs. This proves to be a pivotal point in the book. Changez feels the effects of 9/11 personally through the hostility he receives from Americans and suspicion. Changez describes his reaction to the American strangely. He smiles when he hears of the news, which is strange because Changez seemed to be a kind man who would not wish harm on others before this moment. He becomes more uncomfortable in America during this time and is eaten by the guilt of not being with his family. As Erica´s mental state declines, so does Changez´s desire to be in America. Erica eventually is committed to a mental institution. Later, she disappears and it is believed she committed suicide. This event is the final straw for Changes discontent with America and he returns home.
At home, tensions between Pakistan and America become stronger. Changez becomes a lecturer and actually is part of a anti-american resistance group. The book ends strangely, and it is uncertain what Changez´s fate is.
This book was fascinating to read. Changez´s metamorphosis from a hopeful immigrant impressed and inspired by America into a man discouraged and resentful of America was alarming. It is evident that like all countries, America has its issues and Changez focuses on the ones pertaining to race. This was an enlightening read that dealt with such matters in a personal way that drew the reader in and made them sympathize with Changez, despite his growing disdain for America. The novel's ending makes the reader question if it was the fidgety, armed American man in danger or in fact the sage and calm Changez. The books ominous ending is a final and crucial part to the novel's theme of tensions between America and the Middle East. I do wish the novel had a clearer ending so the reader could find out what happened to Changez and who the American man was.
This novel did an exemplary job in portraying one immigrant man´s struggle to find happiness and success in America to teach universal lessons about finding your identity and the harsh realities of being an immigrant in America.

I was confused by the book ending. I think that Changez might have been a terrorist and had the American killed, but I am not sure.

Valentina wrote: "I freakin' love this book!! I really appreciate the author, Hamid's, style of writing that makes it so that Changez talks with an American man in the present time, as well as, discusses his journey..."
I agree! I think this book is really interesting and a great book. I like reading about what life as someone from the middle east experiences and feels about America. I had not thought about many of the simple things in our lives and American that Changez analyzes and is perplexed by. I also like the change in time between chapters and I am interested why Changez is talking to the American man.

I have read u to page 51 so far. I think this book is interesting. I really like learning about the challenges and experiences that someone that is from Pakistan faces in America. The author writes it in an interesting perspective and is a different way to look at the American culture and people than I am used to.

I'm on page 95 in "All the Light We Cannot See." I think the book is very interesting. I like reading about different perspectives during WWII. Marie-Laure is travelling from Paris right now because it is becoming dangerous. Her dad might possess the Sea of Flames a precious stone. I look forward to finding out if he has the real stone. Werner just fixed an important man's radio and it is likely he will soon go to an elite school.

I am on page 51 of 530 in, "All the Light We Cannot See". So far I have enjoyed the book. I think it is a little slow, but still interesting. I have read about Marie-Laure, a blind girl who lives in Paris, and Werner, a German boy. Both are inquisitive and strong even though they face their own challenges. I am interested to see how their lives intersect and more about their lives as they grow up before and during World War II.

All the Light we cannot see