"A Lover of America" (1)
Changez introduces himself to his American interlocutor as an Americanophile in order to be polite and put the latter's mind at rest. His telling the American about the things they see around them in the market and his own story of his time in America seems to corroborate his self-description, but gradually he reveals how he came to in fact view America as a malevolent power, a conclusion that is very much concealed behind his first statement.
American Workplace Culture and Superiority
"So I learned to tell executives of my father's age, 'I need it now.'" (65)
The directness and informality of American workplace culture and the superiority with which representatives of American firms are used to talking to foreign clients strike Changez as bizarre. His native Pakistani culture has inculcated in him the imperative to show respect within different hierarchies, such as in this case age, which is not valued by American culture. Thus he finds himself embodying a culture he does not actually identify with.
A Critic of America
At first Changez's even-minded determination, by which he defines himself, carries him through the channels of American power through Princeton and into Underwood Samson. He respects American culture for its pragmatism and professionalism. However, events following 9/11 expose the jingoism and prejudice inherent in American society, which makes him also reevaluate the basis of the hardheaded culture he once so admired. Thus, by the end of the story, he has reversed on most of his positions.
Loving Someone Absent
Although Changez is exasperated by Erica's continued attachment to her dead boyfriend Chris, after her disappearance and his return to Pakistan, his romantic attachment to her begins to take on very much of the same character. Even though she is no longer present in his world and presumably is dead, she continues to have a presence for him that is intense to the point of making him lose track of the reality around him.
