Reed Oberting’s Reviews > The Reluctant Fundamentalist > Status Update

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.

I am interested in how American culture has rooted itself in Changez’s mind. The subtle changes in how Changez acts, shown when he tried to flaunt his American Express card, and how he focuses on money instead of people, seem to come to a head when he views his own home as lowly. Though he quickly corrects himself, it is a testament to his inner change, as he used to refer to his home as having a “special charm”.

I found the change in comparison of Underwood Sampson and the US compelling. Underwood Sampson, which had seemed to represent America in its cutthroat goal of making money at all costs, now seems distant from the country as a whole. Now, while Underwood Sampson is still focused on making as much money as possible, the US seems to be caught up in intense nostalgia, eerily similar to what Erica is going through.

Changez appears successful at this point in the book, thriving at Underwood Samson, dating Erica, and enjoying elite status, but beneath the success, it seems there is tension. Changez often suppresses himself to fit an American mold that doesn’t fully accept him. Whether it be by hiding his true emotions or trying to act more American, it is as if he is putting on an act to fool himself into believing he belongs.

I wonder why Changez always seems to be acting. Many times throughout the story, he changes into what others want him to be. Whether that be by portraying himself as a rich prince, a typical American, or even a dead boyfriend, he seems to be living the lives of others. I predict that soon, the world that he has been trying to acclimate to will tear him apart and judge him by his race and not by who he tries to be.

I am concerned by how deep Erica’s scars are. Changez describes her as having an emotional crack(52), and while it is initially described as tiny, I believe it’s dangerous. Erica constantly brings up her dead boyfriend, Chris, and seems to surround herself with people to fill his void. But with others, she seems absent, and only comes to life when looking at Changez, whom she is actively trying to mold into Chris.

I am intrigued about what will happen to Changez and Erica’s relationship. Even though they seem to have a unique intimacy, shown when Erica is described as the only person to understand Changez’s sense of humor(29), she and America are described as being left behind. I wonder what happened to this blossoming relationship, and I predict that the events of 9/11 and a lack of physical intimacy played a part in its end.

I was impressed by the seamlessness with which the author controls what the reader thinks. For instance, the author directs the perception of the American. This control is constructed by a detailed analysis of how he acts and the strange actions that subtly hint at him being a foreign agent. Whether it be the Americans' apparent unease or his namelessness, the author constantly controls the reader's assumptions.