Mac Navins’s Reviews > The Reluctant Fundamentalist > Status Update

I believe that at the end of the book when Changez is pointing out the local businesses, the author shows how different it is from New York. The buildings he points out are all family owned businesses in buildings from the British era of Pakistan. Comparing this to the place he left, New York, and you can see another reason for him wanting to leave. All of the big stores and building were nice at first but not now.

I found it interesting how the author put in Juan-Bautista during Changez's most confusing time so far in the book. I think that the author put him in to show Changez was leaning towards leaving leaving America. Juan brings up boys who were taken in childhood and converted to muslims, but he also says after that it is hard to change when memories have been made you can't forget. This is leading to Changez leaving.

I find it interesting that the author has begun to show Changez becoming different after his last meeting with Erica. He has begun to change, and instead of being the productive and hard working man he was, he is lazy and preoccupied with military matters with Pakistan and India. I think that this is supposed to show how much America has changed him, with his work and Erica, he is becoming a different kind of person.

I found it interesting how Changez was willing to yield himself to Erica in order to make her happy. I think that the author is trying to show how much he cares for Erica because he will do anything to make her happy. He has to compete with someone who is no longer living, which makes it all the more harder to appease Erica. This again shows how much he loves her, as he is willing to keep going when things get hard.

I think the author was trying to show that Changez's relationship with Erica is a metaphor for being American. As she obsessively grieves her past, Changez feels invisible. He realizes he can only be with her if he pretends to be someone else, just as he can only be American by ignoring his Pakistani roots. It is a sad thing, the more he defends his home, the more America treats him like an enemy.

I find it interesting how Changez strikes up a new friendship at Underwood Samson, and how it might affect him later on. Changez mees Wainwright, the only other non-white person in the office, and they become friends. I also found it interesting that the author show Pakistani culture in the form of Changes giving change to a homeless man. This is supposed to show that he is being giving, and it is engrained in him.

I found it interesting how the author put attention on the female features during Changez's interactions with Erica. It made it seem as though Changez was American, though with a few differences employed by the author. I think that the author was trying to show Changez's old-world charm, as even in the most delicate of situation, like on the nude beach, he still doesn't say anything inappropriate or do anything rash.

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.