Status Updates From Il fondamentalista riluttante

After reading to page 151, I found that all of Princeton, Underwood Samson, and all the "American Dream" that Changez has are only the outer layer, the cover he gives himself. After 911, he is still prejudiced and judges by his appearance. After he went back to Pakistan and talked with Juan-Bautista, I think he realized that no matter what he changes, he's still Pakistani inside, just like Ollie Young Bear in M1948.

I feel bad for Changez because he really likes Erica but she is still thinking about Chris even though it has been a year after his death. Changez is starting to get frustrated with Erica because she is acting so stubborn and stuck on Chris. Changez get so frustrated in fact he wants to yell "HE'S DEAD" but he didn't. I feel Changez has a lot of respect for Erica many times he could've yelled at Erica but didn't.

Changez becomes more open to criticize the U.S. His relationship with Erica is over, which was the last strand that connecting Changez to the States. His analytical mindset further helps him point out the flaws of the U.S, highlighting how it is the matter of perception, and motive that dictates the positive/negative view one could have. Stepping aside(returning to Pakistan) gave Changez a new perspective of the U.S.

I feel bad for Changez because he got fired from his job at Underwood Samson. I think it is good that Erica disappeared although it is confusing where she had gone off too. I feel good about her disappearance because I think Changez was stuck on the thought of having a good relationship with her. I am happy for Changez because he was a good person and went back to Pakistan to be with his family and got a job there.

As I'm reading, the story goes back to Changez in the cafe with the American. If I were Changez I would definitely be worried, and it's a tense part of the book. The American is nervous and looks around as if he is scared of something.Changez can't tell if he is scared or if it's something else.Its like there's still a lot of unanswered parts of this book and maybe that's what keeps the reader guessing, just like me.

In the end of the Reluctant Fundamentalist, Changez has seem to be embracing living in Pakistan. Changez and the America are alone and it seemed that the America had a gun which led me to think that something bad could have happened. I am assuming because it doesn't give us much details like a cliffhanger which makes me a little mad. Other than that I wish I the book was a little longer to know how Changez lives on.

Changez reaches a point where his confidence in Underwood Samson starts to decline. Although he is still officially part of the business, his identity as a Pakistani forces him to see his job more clearly, and he realizes how much the company’s focus on efficiency has reshaped him. Going back to the U.S. no longer feels exciting or natural, instead, it feels like returning to a place where he lost his real identity.

After reading the last 2 chapters in the book, I felt astonished and uncontent. I felt shocked because Changez was so determined to quit his job. If I were him, I couldn't relinquish the high status and success I gained at Underwood Samson. Moreover, the ending of Erica is unclear, alittle puzzling to me, making me feel uncontent. I'm still wondering if Erica died or not because the context clue is not explicit.

Changez now decides that he doesn't want to go back to working in New York for Underwood Sampson. He is also getting really mad because he keeps getting threatened or looked at in a weird way because of his beard and 9/11. I also am wondering how Changez and the American's relationship is going because the author just left that scene.

I am concerned by the eerily similar path Changez is on. Like Erica’s love for Chris, which spans beyond death and pulls her into another world, Changez becomes increasingly blinded by his love for Erica. He describes spending an entire day with her in his mind during only a few hours, reliving flashbacks and even imagining a shared life together, subtly hinting at children.

Hamid shows ambiguity here, especially through silence and implication rather than action. Changez’s rejection of American systems feels less like anger and more like clarity. What he controls now is how he defines himself, even as others continue to interpret him through their own fears. This connects strongly to Non-Sibi, as Changez defines himself by refusing imposed labels rather than seeking approval.

I thought it was interesting how the ending refuses to give clear answers and instead leans into vagueness. You’re never fully sure who is dangerous or who is afraid, and that uncertainty feels intentional. Changez’s story forces the reader to confront their own assumptions, showing how fear, power, and perspective shape reality more than facts ever do.

Changez becomes even more conflicted about what he is meant to be doing with his life, and he starts to lose focus of his job that he worked so hard for. He is conflicted between going back to Pakistan as tensions rise with India, or staying in America to help Erika in this hard time. I predict that Changez will realize that he needs to be with his family with all the tensions going on, and will go back to Pakistan.

I feel for Changez a lot after reading about how he lost his American dream. I blame it on 9/11. Ever since 9/11 he has been looked at and treated very differently. That has frustrated me a lot as someone who knows how good of a guy Changez is. I wish and hope in the future that things will start to look up for Changez soon!

Changez’s love for Erica is a like a reflection for his American Dream. At first, both seem bright and full of hope. But as Erica falls back into her past and disappears, Changez realizes America is also not as perfect as he thought. He stops trying to take on the personality of Chris just to fit in. Losing Erica is like losing his hope in New York, both seemed great, but eventually became bad.

I feel the irony in Jim asking to fight for the team and not quit his mission in Chile. Changez, who has been getting harassed due to his appearance, without a voice of support, is now being asked to put his emotions aside and stick to the fundamentals. This mirrors the trap of Underwood Sampson, which pushes workers to be robotic and their focus on profit over humanity, explaining why Changez wants to leave.

Changez seemed very proud that his father's uncle was a poet. I think that being a poet takes a lot of confidence and creativity which I see in Changez. I think this confidence comes from where Changes grew up, in Pakistan, and the experiences he encountered as a child. The author included this to show that your home is more important than most realize, because without the past, there is no shaping the future.

I feel saddened by how torn Changez is, especially when he sees his family struggling while he succeeds in America. It bothers me that he doesn’t return to Pakistan right away, even though I understand how hard that choice is. I also feel uneasy about his relationship with Erica because it seems fragile. Overall, the chapter makes me feel worried that Changez is losing his sense of home.

I’m so surprised that Changez just refused to work on his job. All he has been doing is worrying about Erica and how he will get back in contact with her and now he is just basically throwing that away. He will lose his visa if he loses his job and that is almost guaranteed. I don’t see why he has gone through all the stress and effort to get back with Erica if he is going to throw it away.

Erica seems like a total fiend. First off, she keeps Changez emotionally attached even though she can't get over her dead boyfriend, Chris. Who does that? She even had Changez roleplay as Chris while having an intimate moment. Now, after 9/11, she acts like Changez doesn't even exist? I'm glad that she decided disappear instead of lingering in Changez's life and constantly giving him troubles and mixed feelings.

When Changez believes Erica’s sadness is something he can slowly fix, I felt concerned. It shows that he does not truly understand grief and thinks emotional pain can be controlled. The author includes this scene to show how Changez becomes more desperate for certainty and meaning as his emotional life falls apart. It also shows how his need to explain everything makes it hard for him to accept what cannot be fixed.

Changez telling Erica to close her eyes and pretend he is Chris is his lowest point in the book. I think this captures what it's like being an immigrant in America. To win the love and support of Erica(America, he had to give up a part of himself, his identity. I think this captures the dark meaning of "Non Sibi" as he literally had to give up himself and his identity to finally be accepted.

It is intriguing that after Changez reunites with his family, he learns how India, now allied with the U.S., may attack Pakistan. The author demonstrates how much the situation in Pakistan has deteriorated during Changez’s time in the U.S. Ironically, his work at Underwood Samson strengthens the American economy, deepening his sense of divided loyalty as he feels he is indirectly working against his own country.

Changez’s father’s illness is crucial in Chapter 9. It represents the difference between Changez’s professional success and the reality of his national identity. It forces him to do things he can’t optimize, fix, or escape, different from at Underwood Samson.

It is interesting how Changez feels like a stranger in his own home. When he returns to Lahore, he first sees shabby walls and paint that is falling off, but then realizes the house hadn't changed. He was looking through American eyes, judging his home by the standards of the New York building. It’s sad to see how much he gave up just to fit in, and how hard it is to get back to being his own self.

Earlier in the book, I predicted that Changez might face a major challenge that would lead him toward failure, and that is what happened in this chapter. After the 9/11 attacks, he returned to Pakistan. I personally felt pity for Changez when he lost his American dream, and I believe he will face even more tragedy in the future.