Yuha.Nishida’s Reviews > The Reluctant Fundamentalist > Status Update

I noticed how Hamid show conflict with not loud scenes. The conflict lives inside Changez’s mind. He starts to question the system he works for. This is something he can control, but the results are unclear. I felt empathy because questioning your own life is not easy. His reaction felt human, not sudden or fake.

I kept reading, I felt the tension growing through Changez’s thoughts. His American life looks successful from the outside. He has a good job, money, and respect. But inside, he feels less safe and less welcome. This shows how power works in quiet ways. Even success cannot protect him from fear and judgment.

In this section, I thought about what Changez can and can’t control. He can control how hard he work and how he act at his job. But he can’t control how America changes after fear grows. I felt some empathy for his reaction, even when I did not fully agree with him. His feelings come from being judged and watched. That constant pressure would change anyone. This helped me understand his anger more.

I like how Hamid’s language is polite, but there are strong feelings under it. The story feels calm at first, but I can feel tension under the words. This makes me want to know more about what Changez really thinks. The way he talks is very personal, and it made me think about my own ideas about America and people from other countries. I like how the language makes me think and feel at the same time.

I notice big theme is identity. Changez is from Pakistan and he living in the US. He want to fit in and do well, but he feel different from other people sometime. He think a lot about who he is and where he belongs. It made me think how hard it can be to live in a new place. Hamid show this in small way in Changez’s word, action, and the way he talk to others. I like how it makes me feel what Changez feel.

What really got me was the voice. It feels like someone is talking directly to me, almost close. It was a little not comfortable, but in a good way. Hamid uses polite words, but there is tension under them. I thought a lot about fear and power in the US after 9/11. Because we learned about Pakistan, I can understand why the main character doesn't fully trust America. His word also made me think about my own ideas.