The Reluctant Fundamentalist

by Mohsin Hamid

The Reluctant Fundamentalist Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

Beards (Symbol)
Changez's beard symbolizes his connection to his homeland and his Pakistani cultural background. During his youth
in America, he was clean-shaven and did his very best to look the part of the young corporate American, abandoning
this aspect of himself. After 9/11, beards were to many a symbol of radical Islam, and thus undesirable. Changez's
reclamation of his beard is also a reclamation of his cultural identity.

Changez's Relationship With Erica/America (Allegory)

Changez’s difficult relationship with Erica is in itself an allegory for his and much of the Muslim world’s relationship
with the United States. It is passionate, and he finds himself almost inexorably drawn to her, but she cannot get past
the wounds inflicted on her, and her inability to let go ultimately drives them apart. The inability of much of America
to separate terrorists from the entirety of the Muslim world led to an increase in hostility between nations, and
ultimately soured their relationships.

Underwood and Samson (Symbol)

Underwood Samson appears at first to be the perfect place to work. It encapsulates the American Dream, the idea
that if one works hard, one will be rewarded. The glitz and glamour of it further emphasizes just how, like Erica, it
symbolizes aspects of the United States. As Changez’s time there goes on he comes to realize that there is a dark
undercurrent of prejudice in the workplace, which becomes glaringly obvious when he grows out his beard, causing
many of his coworkers to become uncomfortable.

Bats (Symbol)

"But bats have survived here. They are successful urban dwellers, like you and I, swift enough to escape detection
and canny enough to hunt among a crowd." (63)

Changez tells his American interlocutor an allegory of different animals and how they have or have not adapted to the
man-made environment of the city. For someone like Changez who did not come from a Western metropolis, living in
New York was a difficult experience of finding his way practically and morally in a world that isolated him while
providing him with many more opportunities.

Fall of the Twin Towers (Symbol)

For Changez, the images of 9/11 make him feel that America has received a comeuppance that it has long deserved
after bombing so many other countries. Though he recognizes that many innocent lives were lost, he is also highly
aware of how the World Trade Center stands as a symbol for American domination.

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The Reluctant Fundamentalist Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a great resource to ask questions, find
answers, and discuss the novel.

What other writer are you reminded of when
u read the book The Reluctant
Fundamentalists
I think this is asking for your opinion rather
than mine. I don't know what you have read
before.
Asked by Harman S #707840
Answered by Aslan on 10/26/2017 5:34 PM
Where does the American prefer to sit?
The Stranger sits with his back against the
wall of the tea house even though it is a hot
day and his position makes him less likely to
feel any breeze that might gust in.
Asked by Angela L #498081
Answered by Aslan on 1/31/2016 5:36 AM
"Come relinquish your foreigners sense of
being watched" what does this get to
I'm not familiar with this work, but I believe
this quote refers to the fact that when in a
strange place, people tend to think that
they're being stared at or watched. The
speaker is telling (?) to let go of the
foreigner's sense...
 Asked by vivian v #333906
Answered by jill d #170087 on 8/21/2013
6:26 AM

Study Guide for The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The Reluctant Fundamentalist study guide contains a biography of Mohsin Hamid, literature essays, quiz questions,
major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

About The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The Reluctant Fundamentalist Summary
Character List
Glossary
Themes

Essays for The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The Reluctant Fundamentalist essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by
students and provide critical analysis of The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.

Changez's Relationship with Erica

True or False: Analyzing Behavior in The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Silencing the American: A Limitation or Success?
Conflicted Identities in "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" and "Terrorist"
Food Imagery in The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Wikipedia Entries for The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Introduction
Plot/Summary
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