The Reluctant Fundamentalist Essay Questions

Changez frequently assures his American interlocutor that he is telling the truth and should be trusted. How does this change the reading experience for the reader?

As readers, we do not necessarily have any reason to disbelieve Changez from the beginning. In fact, Changez's assurances and readings of the American man seem to make that man seem excessively suspicious. However, as these assurances are repeated so frequently, we are made to wonder whether Changez is in fact hiding something behind his veneer of politeness.

Hamid describes American culture and America in general as dominated and epitomized by universities like Princeton and companies like Underwood Samson. How fair is this perspective, and how much of it depends on the particular experience of Changez as a character?

Changez's story is told from a highly affected and individual point of view—although he has access to plenty of information, he is more concerned with recounting his own experience as opposed to a kind of syncretic view. Thus, for example, we only see a narrow sliver of American society as Changez has passed through it—from Princeton to Manhattan. We do not see the rest of the U.S. or other socioeconomic classes other than those who go to Ivy League schools and get jobs at prestigious consultancy firms.

The author, through Changez, show that he is highly aware of the controversial nature of his book and the probability that American readers will not be sympathetic to the protagonist's views. What does he do to guard against this risk?

Hamid makes the American interlocutor predominantly a listener; from what Changez says, it does not seem like the man does more than ask questions and react to what Changez says. Therefore, Changez, being a very articulate and polite man, is constantly responding to the American's perceived reactions, which preempts what American readers might think—for example, when Changez speaks about his sense of satisfaction at seeing the Twin Towers come down.

In the story, Erica tells Changez that she used to turn to writing stories as a therapeutic measure for her anxiety and depression. What purpose does telling his story of his years in America and his love for Erica serve Changez personally?

Even if we believe that Changez is luring his American interlocutor into a trap, it is still the case that his story has profound personal value and is filled with many contradictions that he himself may not have solved. Although he is confident, stylish, and witty with his storytelling, Changez is essentially using his conversation with the American as an opportunity to try to explain not only to himself but also to a general American audience why he developed as he did.

Changez explicitly draws a parallel between his relationship with Erica and his relationship with America. Does this seem like a fair analogy? Why or why not?

Changez frequently mentions his romance with Erica and his infatuation with American culture, especially in the form of Underwood Samson's corporate culture, together to describe what he considers to be his single experience of America. One of the strongest parallels he draws between the two is the idea that Erica's nostalgia for Chris is like America's nostalgia for WWII nationalism. Although Changez does not mean for the analogy to be strict, it becomes particularly problematic when one considers his selfish reasons for wanting to be with Erica, which do not have much of a political parallel. Similarly, if Erica represents America, there is no other love interest or person who represents Pakistan in Changez's political ambivalence.