Liam Choi’s Reviews > The Reluctant Fundamentalist > Status Update

Changez’s growing distance from America becomes unmistakable after he’s fired from Underwood Samson, revealing his acceptance was tied only to performance. He carried himself in a way reflection of his Pakistani identity, having harsher parts of himself to fit in. Erica’s disappearance and subtle discrimination deepen this divide, pushing him to revive the self, and had a question of the future he dreamed of in US.

Changez felt a emotional pull toward his identity during this period, because moments that seemed described how fragile America was. His closeness with Erica showed him that her emotions were still to Chris, found a distance he could not cross. Later, when a waiter treated him with disrespect, he felt another reminder that he was marked different. These experiences made him realize that belonging could break easily.

Changez felt a emotional pull toward his origins and identity during the complex events, and this awareness strengthens his sense that America’s acceptance of him was just simply conditional. During this period, he grew his beard as a small return to himself. Also, Erica’s decline deepens this divide, showing him that emotional belonging can break easily.

At Underwood Samson, Changez tried to have the same confidence he had, yet he felt a small separation growing between him and the people he worked with. News from Pakistan strengthened this tension, reminding him that his identity was tied to a place facing uncertainty. Erica’s growing silence added another emotional barrier. These moments made Changez realize that the life he imagined in America was an illusion.

Changez’s sense of belonging changed after 9/11, when he found that the country he admired now viewed him with suspicion as the staring at the airport and public spaces and the sudden shift in how partners marked as an outsider. There was subtle discomfort and awareness that he was being watched, evaluated, and pushed to the pale. These moments accumulated that he changed his mind that America is unsecure to him.

Changez’s love for Erica, his pride in his job, and his belief in American meritism all seemed solid, yet each was fragile that it can break easily. After 9/11, complex of his identity and the achievement bias of Underwood Samson showed that his acceptance was conditional. America felt like an opportunity, but slowly revealed America depended not on who he was, but on the quality of Changez's ability of doing work.

Changez’s confidence cracked before his career started. On the Greece trip, he tried to blend in with wealthy American classmates, but felt a emotional distance. Meeting Erica strengthen this divide, because she welcomed him, yet her heart missed Chris. These moments made Changez to realize that dreaming could not erase the cultural complexity and emotional barriers separating him from the world he wanted to join.

The start of The Reluctant Fundamentalist described how Changez’s identity was sharply shaped by success. He have earned a scholarship of Princeton, and got an offer from the Underwood Samson, yet each moment faced an radical fracture. He was an all A student and athlete who believed his success made him special, yet he eventually realized he is from different country and there are Americans that had similar ability.