Status Updates From The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The author, Mohsn Hamid, really has me hooked because on p.30, Changez says that he only stayed in New York for 8 months. But later on, he says he loved how inclusive New York felt and how he felt like a New Yorker the second he moved there. So, I wonder why he left so soon. Did something happen that changed his mind? I am really hooked by this and can't stop thinking about why.

When Changez was being interviewed for Underwood Samson, at the start of the interview, I thought there was no way Changez would get the job. It seemed like he was very nervous, and I thought that the interviewer was not going to like that. However, as the interview went on, Changez settled in and got the job. This demonstrates Changez as a very intelligent and smart person because he was selected out of many people.

After reading the first chapter and a half of the Reluctant Fundamentalist I see why they just don't call it the Fundamentalist. So far I’ve felt a very reluctant and sassy tone in Changez. The main area where I felt a reluctant tone was in the Underwood Samsung Interview. He seems like a person that never gives up but he also seems very nice. I am very curious to see what ends up happening with Erica.

The author had me hooked at the interview. I was interested in why the protagonist, Changez, was nervous for this interview over any other one. I didn't understand why this one was special, after all it pays $80,000 not a million. I learned how Changez comes from a poor family, where income is important. I think the author started the book this way to show Changez takes pride in his family and works hard for them.

Changez, a Pakistan student in Princeton, just faced a nervous situation in the interview with Underwood Samson. The interviewer, Jim, felt sympathetic to Changez’s financial problem. Even though Changez made a mistake in the calculation, he was still on the right track and got an offer. I have a question whether Jim hires him because his approach is correct, or Jim sees something of himself in his background.

I wonder what Erica is thinking or doing behind the scenes. She seems to be surrounded by other people, especially men, and seems to begin to be distant from Changez. Although, this makes her kinda similar to Changez, because he also is quite out of it and often feels out of place.

At first, I'm impressed by how sharp the main characters observation was. He can see alot of hidden details on the American. The American really gives me a sense of weirdness, where he always have his coat on and sit near the wall, not what a normal tourist would do. Also, when Changez describe how hard it is for an international student to get in top schools, I resonate with him alot, where I understand his stress.

At first, the main character really shocked me with his sharp observation and analytical skills. The American also gives me a sense of abnormalness, since he sits in front of the wall, securing his back from any hidden threat. He also wouldn't like to take his jacket off, which makes me think he might be hiding some kind of weapon that makes him confident and safe meeting a random Pakistani inviting him for tea.

I was confused at first on how everyone could tell right away that he was American. It said the way he just carried himself and went on about life. You could also tell because he acted scared. He thought that maybe something was going to happen to him. I learned though that every culture or religion has their own way that they do things. How they act, talk, eat, etc. The American just didn't follow those patterns.

During the beginning of the story, I felt like Changez's story didn’t feel like someone else’s. When I first came to the United States, I also saw a few people who had prejudices about me, although I knew they weren't intending to be rude to me. Furthermore, I feel like Changez's love towards Erica is a type of metaphor throughout this story because I think it also kind of a Changez's optimism in America.

After the first 40 pages I have gotten to know a lot more about characters such as Erica and wainwright. Erica was in Greece with Changez and they had great pond there and she promised to help changez settle in into New York. After this Greece trip part Erica does not get mentioned in the book. Wainwright is mentioned in the book by working in the same company with Changez and they hang out together after work.

Changez says that New York feels like home, because of its immense diversity and established immigrant communities. But I struggle to decipher the deeper message of how this impacts the book. Even so, I believe Hamid is trying to give him a sense of belonging. I can predict that in the future, he will not feel at home, and his relationship with New York will change, connecting to his name, Changez (Changes).

After reading the first couple of chapters, Changez is now talking to an American about jobs, and he is really starting to show himself and who he is to Underwood. But at the start of the interview he Changez only came prepared to talk about 2 things, how good he is at soccer and his grades. But Underwood makes him speak more about himself, such as whether he needs financial aid, and where he's from.

So far, I appreciate how the author takes his time to deeply describe all of Erica's characteristics. I am impressed by how much training the recruits from Underwood Sampson have to do in a day. I feel confused about how Wainwright addresses various expressions from movies, such as Star Wars. I am curious to know who the American was texting and what he was writing in his text at the end of the second paragraph.

I found it interesting that Changez and Erica share a deep understanding with each other. The setting of her boyfriend’s death makes her vulnerability clear, which deepens the connection. Hamid uses small gestures such as shared glances to build intimacy between them. I predict that this trust and closeness will shape how Changez approaches future relationships and his view of love after experiencing Erica.

as going through around these pages, I felt like many things are going on so i took time to understand. i also thought he was curious about the job because of others. He was trying to know about America and other countries because he was watching TV.

as reading through these pages, I felt like erica is giving him a distraction. i felt it's not good for him, especially because he is going to the company and it would be bad for him to have a distraction.

as reading through these pages, i knew and understand that he is a good student and intelligent. seems like a he is having good grade in college and i think it shows his personality that he takes thing siriously.

I found it interesting how Changez composes himself. He says he acts like a young prince on campus, even though he comes from a not very wealthy family. He also has a very sophisticated accent. I think the author is trying to show that Changez thinks very highly of himself. He is also very smart, which may lead to an interesting personality. This might be an important detail later on if he tries to make new friends.

So far, this book has been interesting. The author, Mohsin Hamid, is writing in a way that only tells the reader what Changez is saying for most of the first ten pages. I have never read a book where only the main character's voice is heard. It was shocking to me that even when Changez was in a conversation, the author only wrote his responses and not what the other person was saying and I am excited to read more.

Until now, I have been slowly getting to know Changez and his life in America through his university life at Princeton, and later his interview at Underwood Samson. Through the first few pages with the guy next to him in the tea shop, I could see that he is a very observant person, also having a lot of experience living in the U.S. I’m curious to see how he would approach this amazing chance to work in that company.

On the first couple of pages, we are put into the voice of Changez. He is at a cafe talking to an American. What struck me, though, was that the American never said a word. It was always Changez who answered and talked. I thought this was interesting to show that Pakistani people have a voice and should not be discriminated against based on appearance. I am excited to read more and find out who the American is.

It is striking how frequently tea appears in the story. As a healthy, culturally significant drink, it symbolizes hospitality in many non-U.S. cultures, such as Pakistan, where it is almost beloved by everyone. However, this contrasts with typical American habits. The repeated references to tea foreshadow the story's underlying tension and ambiguity. I wonder what Changez’s transition back to Pakistan will be like.