Status Updates From The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The situation of Changez and other foreigners from middle east is just getting worse after 9/11, where I felt uncomfortable seeing muslims being murdered. This made me notice how fear and prejudice after 9/11 affect everyday life. Changez’s growing anger and confusion show how he feels less accepted in America, which pushes him to question his identity. Maybe later, he will relinquish the American Dream.

I found it interesting how often the author implies comparisons between Pakistan and the U.S. Bats and other flying creatures hovering above the sky during Changez's time in Manila seem to mirror immigrants in the U.S. The image of large animals flying around tall buildings, on the verge of crashing, foreshadows the terrifying 9/11 attack. I wonder what will be the deciding factor for Changez's return to Pakistan.

I felt Underwood Samson’s situation symbolized the US’s situation in the world. The cable company keeps disrupting tasks for Changez and his colleagues, like the 911 attacker or Afghanistan. The arbitration also seems like the US’s fight back against the Middle East. And in this chapter, I feel that Changez’s attitude toward the US changes due to patriotism and Jim's meritocracy, excited about the next.

Similar to one of my previous reviews I will be talking about Erica again. After Changez and Erica have engaged in sexual intercourse for the second time I find it very confusing why Changez would degrade himself as much to tell Erica to pretend that he is another man in bed. Sure, Changez loves her, but Erica is so connected with Chris beyond return and I do not see why Changez has not realised this yet.

At first, I didn’t understand why Changez described 9/11 as an enemy being destroyed. He acted like Americans, and he hated Pakistan's weakness compared to the US. However, I realized he never liked the US itself. If another country were the strongest, he would have chosen it. He just didn’t like that Pakistan is a weak country. He felt disdain and envy for America same as his family’s situation.

Erica and Changez are great together, and seeing each other frequently. Still, there is the problem of Chris being on Erica's mind. I believe Chris represents America's past. Americans still hold on to their past norms, culture, and discrimination like Erica, America, holds on to Chris. Changez represents change. The change from discrimination to equality, and freedom. I find this to be very well done by the author.

Erica is one of the most annoying people to have to read about. Whenever Changez gets close to her she has always finds a way to bring Chris into the situation. I do know where she's coming from though just because she's known Chris her whole life . Its always hard to move on from a loss but its very usual for people to and Erica has not shown any signs of this except trying to start somthing with Changez

I think that Changez playing the role of Chris, so that Erica will have sex with him, is a simile for Changez's relationship with America. They are similar in that Changez feels he has to be someone else in America, and now he has to be someone else in bed so that Erica will accept him. I believe Hamid is trying to express cultural discrimination after 9/11. After the attacks, one could notice the immediate changes.

I did not felt great when I read about Changez getting treated differently after 9/11. People around him began to view him with bias as a terrorist just because he was a Muslim man. I felt especially empathetic because as an international student, I have sometimes felt people watching me weirdly when I visited New York with my family. I hope later in the book Changez finds himself equally with others.

After reading to page 101 I see how Changez emotions are starting to change towards anger. Earlier in a previous class discussion I predicted that Erica would want to stay close to Changez but her dad wouldn't let her. I have not yet seen any evidence to prove this true but I think I will soon. So far I have see that Erica has been at times close to Changez but also distant as well.

I was surprised that Erica was willing to spend time with Changez after the attacks. The timing was terrible for Changez flying home, and I expected him to be held at the airport after the agent’s rude response. I was happy for Changez and Erica during the celebration at his apartment after Erica got an agent. I am curious why the author keeps returning to the idea of the American spy and Changez.

This new chapter talked a lot about Changez's identity. Changez’s compared himself to a bat and that showed how he was learning to survive by being clever and adaptable in Underwood Samson. In Manila, he acts more American to try and gain respect, but this made him feel a bit guilty about not being himself. His reaction to 9/11 was pretty shocking because of how he wasn't really sad or mad about it.

Chris has some kind of symbolic meaning. There are 3 theories of mine. The first is that he represents the past of America. The second one could be how he represents a tragedy. We know about Erica being America, and Chris's death was a tragedy for her. So, in this situation, Chris can also be 9/11. The last is that Chris could be representing religion or Christianity.

Changez had an unusual/unique expressions after he saw "911" happens. Even though he explained later that his smile was only towards the concept that it proves America isn't invincible. In my opinion, this happens because there is a shift in his mindset after he noticed how powerful the country is how the society is untouchable. Afterall, I wish to see what will happen to him after this accident.

This new chapter talked a lot about Changez's identity. Changez’s compared himself to a bat and that showed how he was learning to survive by being clever and adaptable in Underwood Samson. In Manila, he acts more American to try and gain respect, but this made him feel a bit guilty about not being himself. His reaction to 9/11 was pretty shocking because of how he wasn't really sad or mad about it.

When Changez said to Erica pretend I'm Chris I was so surprised. Changez is literally losing a battle with a guy that is dead. At this point Changez has to give up. Erica cannot be with anybody except Chris and Changez has to realize this. He has to realize that he has no chance to last with Erica until she gets over Chris’s death, which might never happen.

In Chapter 8, when Changez points out the chickens roasting on the grill, I thought there was some kind of message in it. I analyzed it as a hint of a threat to the stranger who appeared before. Changez's behavior reveals someone he perceived as suspicious and dangerous seemed unnatural. Because he suddenly points out the chickens roasting on the grill in Chapter 8, I thought he was trying to convey something.

This novel is known for its open and implicit view of the perspective of someone from Pakistan experiencing 9/11, but apart from that, there is a lot of symbolism in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. One example is Erica, who symbolizes America. The biggest symbol in this book, in my opinion, is Chris, who represents the downfall of a global powerhouse, shown through Chris’s death.

I was very frustrated for Changez when reading about how he was trying to make moves towards Erica after such a long time but she constantly denied it saying that she wants it to be chris. I dislike how Changez is still into her after all of this between them. I believe at some point he will move on and find a better woman that he deserves.

I just read to page 85 and I am getting pulled in even deeper into this book because of how Changez reacted to the planes hitting the Twin Towers. I do not like how he says that seeing another countries misfortune brings him joy. And him saying he wanted something bad to happen to american
are both hints that Changez might be apart of the terrorist group that flew the planes into the towers.

I found it striking when Changez reacts with fury to the bombing of Afghanistan, Pakistan’s neighbor. Although he is trained to be bloodless at Underwood Samson, he still trembles, showing that he has not changed and holds his values and human nature. He is thoughtful and warm, and this moment highlights the theme non-sibi because it shows that despite it's not his country, he cannot ignore the suffering of others.

So far, The Reluctant Fundamentalist has had me reaching for it more and more. To explain this behavior, it has to do with the consistency of absurd and abnormal behavior that Changez displays throughout the novel. First off, when I was going through pages 70 to 80, there was a part that talked about how Changez felt joy upon hearing about 9/11. Then, he shows how open he is to talk about his personal life.

Changez’s success in America feels more tiresome than rewarding. Even when he’s doing everything right, he still doesn't get treated fairly. I felt empathetic toward his quiet frustration. I think this part strongly connects to Non Sibi, as Changez begins realizing he’s been living for expectations and systems that don’t truly serve him, and I think Changez starts to realize that America might not be the best fit.

Changez has experienced racism and loneliness in the past few pages. Since the attacks on the twin towers, Changez has experienced racism as people in America view him differently after 9/11. Changez has also been experiencing the feeling of loneliness as Erica became ill and hasn't been in contact with him since she got sick. Changez must be overwhelmed with all of the things that have been going on recently.

I was confused on why Changez was smiling after he heard about 9/11. He said he wasn't happy about all of the people that died but he was happy that America got attacked. He said that it proved to America that they aren't invulnerable from the world. That they can be attacked at any moment. He was happy that it showed it wasn't just Pakistan that wasn't the perfect country. America also had its weaknesses.

page 76 of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Changez is talking in the present to the American at the restaurant. He starts to feel that the man knows something when he says, “or perhaps… But enough of these speculations!” Even though Changez believes they have never met, the man seems to know details about him. Since the word mission is italicized on the first page, I think the man was sent to Pakistan to meet Changez

The part that stood out to me the most was when after the failed love scene, they didn't fall asleep in each other's arms, but they fell asleep shoulder to shoulder. This reminds me of parallel lines - they share the same space, are heading in the same direction, but never intersect. I think this represents how Changez and Erica have more of a friendship that lacks the heat and fusion needed for a romantic bond.

Changez finds out the hard way that sometimes, doing everything right still isn't enough. Hamid shows us that even though Changez worked incredibly hard and followed all the rules, bigger world events changed how people saw him. He slowly lost control of his own life. I want to know, given how Changez has been treated in America, whether his meeting with the American in Lahore will end peacefully?

I just finished reading page 103 and I see how Changez is starting to get mad. Earlier in the book I made a prediction that he was going to move back to Pakistan because of all the post 9/11 stereotypes of Arabic people and I see how that could potentially become a reality in the next few chapters. I think there's a chance that Erica is going to start drifting away from Changez because of the death of Chris.