Everett Lo’s Reviews > The Reluctant Fundamentalist > Status Update

Like a Janissary—a Christian child raised to fight for the Ottomans, Changez initially serves America at the expense of his own people. At Underwood Samson, he embodies "Non Sibi" through loyalty, oblivious to the harm caused to 3rd world nations like Pakistan. However, he realizes what is happening and returns home. By becoming an activist and teacher, he reclaims "Non Sibi" and finally serves his own people.

The beard Changez grows is the first act of defiance. Instead of shaving his beard, he grows it out, unsettling his colleagues. I think it show how Changez acceptance into America is conditional, and by being different he is pushed out. I also think it relates to title of being a fundamentalist, not in religion, but in his identidy, as he embraces his Pakistani roots instead of trying to be someone different.

Changez was named by Hamid for the way he changes. The flight back from New York is what I think sparked the major change in the book. Changez feels invincible, his job in Underwood Samson and status as a "Shark" make him feel invicible. Yet as he arrives in New York his delusion crumbles as he is escorted to the secondary inspection room. Here he finds his worldview of a Meritocracy, and the American Dream collapse.

During his Manila assignment we see that Changez is not only an outsider in America, but he also feels like an outsider in another third world country. He grew up in Pakistan which is a poor country and has been a key piece of his identidy. Yet, the moment where he stares out of the cab at the filipinos he realizes how this newfound wealth has also alienated him from his roots making him an outcast in both settings.

I think Erica and the romance in the novel isreally an embodiment of America, not in a positive way, but in a flawed sense. While Erica is quite beautiful, we learn she seems to be missing part of herself, similar to how America has looks but no substance. We later learn that the missing part is Chris, who I think represents Old America. I think this reflects America post 9/11, which was longing for the "glory days."

The Underwood-Samson interview highlights one key piece of Changez: being an outsider. We learn that while his family has status, they lack money. This is opposite to America, with tons of "New Money" but no real status. I think the fact that he never told anyone at Princeton shows that he doesn't have anyone he trusts, suggesting he is a social outlier. I think Hamid uses this to foreshadow the future conflict.

One event at the start of the book is when Changez tells the stranger, "Do not be frightened by my beard; I am a lover of America." I think this shows the main conflict in the book, an identity crisis between modernisation(loving America and Princeton) or keeping with tradition(hence the beard). The title backs this up with the word "reluctant," suggesting a similar conflict, though with victory to the latter.