Jayden Wang’s Reviews > The Reluctant Fundamentalist: A Man Booker Prize-Shortlisted Literary Novel of Love, Identity, and the American Dream > Status Update
Jayden Wang
is on page 101 of 184
As the situation has worsened for foreinghers especialy in the Middle Eastern region, including Changez. Rumors like people killing Muslims, raiding their homes, and closing off temples made me able to see clearly what the society was like in the US. He also starts to question his identity after he's been less welcomed in America. It also made me wonder that it's going to be the main cause of Changez leaving the US.
— Feb 13, 2026 12:20PM
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Jayden’s Previous Updates
Jayden Wang
is on page 121 of 184
I see that Changez keeps thinking about Erica, even when he tries not to, while also facing suspicion and unfair treatment after 9/11. Fear spreads fast, and normal places start to feel unsafe. On the other hand, I found that Erica is hard to understand because she is still stuck on Chris. Since their relationship isn’t growing and Changez feels isolated, I wonder how his feelings and view of the world will change.
— Feb 13, 2026 04:46PM
Jayden Wang
is on page 76 of 184
After 911 had happened, Changez's whole world had changed; he was judged by Americans by his appearance and nationality, even when he claimed he loved the country and lived there for years. Prejudice comes into Changez's life when he's the last one to board the plane, when he's getting questioned again and again by the customs, which makes me feel about the 'power' of people's opinion, and the society's prejudice.
— Feb 13, 2026 05:58AM
Jayden Wang
is on page 60 of 184
The way Underwood Samson works is extremely efficient, but the meritocracy within the company also ignores personalities, focusing only on results, not the process, which could cause problems. Also, as Changez went to Erica's home, her dad was unfriendly to Changez. Which made me concerned about the situation that Changez is and will be facing after 911 because of his Pakistani identity and his appearance.
— Feb 13, 2026 05:42AM
Jayden Wang
is on page 30 of 184
As Changez has met and known Erica and her past, I realized that the name Erica is very close to America. As Changez starts to get close to her, he's trying to involve into the country of the US. Meanwhile, Changez got his training started in Underwood Samson, proving that he had stepped into the top class of New York, as he himself says, he felt like a New Yorker, which could be changing him in the future.
— Feb 13, 2026 05:29AM
Jayden Wang
is on page 6 of 184
As the waiter comes by the American, his mysterious and suspicious act all seems to have a reason. Whether he has something likely to be a weapon hiding under his jacket, so he wouldn't like to take it off, sitting in the corner so no one can reach him from behind, and the awareness he'd shown from the start, makes me think that he might be a spy or intellegence related person in Lahore rather than a tourist.
— Feb 13, 2026 05:24AM
Jayden Wang
is finished
At the end of the book, a lot of things happened, including what happens to Erika, as Hamid usually does, we easily believe that Erika dies, but I think it's not that simple. Back to Lahore, as Changez and the American man walk back to the hotel, a bunch of people walked pass them. Changez says they held no malicious intent, but the American man still tends to be highly nervous and cautious even at the hotel.
— Jan 30, 2026 06:37AM
Jayden Wang
is on page 161 of 184
After reading to page 151, I found that all of Princeton, Underwood Samson, and all the "American Dream" that Changez has are only the outer layer, the cover he gives himself. After 911, he is still prejudiced and judges by his appearance. After he went back to Pakistan and talked with Juan-Bautista, I think he realized that no matter what he changes, he's still Pakistani inside, just like Ollie Young Bear in M1948.
— Jan 29, 2026 08:34AM
Jayden Wang
is on page 141 of 184
I started to understand the Changes Changez had through his experience in America, as he describes himself looking like a foreigner, and his own view of people also changed, to perspecitive like an unsympathetic American as he describes himself. Earlier in the book, in pg.67, he still says "as we Pakistanis", after going into Underwood Samson, the experiences of Erica, to the Philippines, all had changed him a lot.
— Jan 28, 2026 05:58AM
