A Kafkaesque Study of Mohsin Hamid’s Novels The Last

White Man and The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Introduction of Research Scholar Introduction of Supervisor

Name: Sumera Parveen Name: Ms. Ammara Maqsood
Roll No: 13 Designation: Senior Lecturer
Class: M Phil English Literature Department: School of English
Session: 2021-23 Fall Institute: Minhaj University Lahore

School of English
Faculty of Languages

MINHAJ UNIVERSITY LAHORE

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Research Proposal

Program: M Phil Session: 2021-23

Subject: English Literature
Name of Student: Sumera Parveen Roll No: 13
Father Name: Abdul Rehman

A Kafkaesque Study of Mohsin Hamid’s Novels The Last White Man and The Reluctant
Fundamentalist
Introduction

This research aims to analyze the novels The Last White Man (2022) and The Reluctant

Fundamentalist (2007) by Mohsin Hamid through postmodern theoretical lens. The conceptual

framework of intertextuality expounded by Julia Kristeva (1980) will be used for analytical study

of the selected texts. Kristeva coined the term by referring to Bakhtin’s notions of dialogism and

heteroglossia. She replaced the term heteroglossia with intertextuality and asserted that “each word

(text) is an intersection of word (texts) where at least one other (text) can be read” (Kristeva, 1986).

Still and Worton (1990) by further elaborating Kristeva’s concept avow that a text is not a

hermetic or self-sufficient whole because a writer is also a reader of previously written texts “and

therefore the work of art is inevitably shot through with references, quotations and influences of

every kind” (Still & Worton , 1990). Intertextuality in simple words means a text borrowing words

and concepts from other texts (Allen, 2000). Kristeva states that text is not a unique entity rather

it is the product of cultural, historical, social discourses and other texts. She considers writing

subject, addressee and exterior texts as the three dimensions of dialogue, from which a text itself

absorbs (Zengin, 2016).

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Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis (1915) that will be used as an intertext in this research,

is an enthralling narrative in which the protagonist Gregor Samsa experiences an excruciating

physical transformation and becomes a giant bug. In Hamid’s novel The Last White Man (2022),

the white protagonist Anders such as Samsa also undergoes an appalling physical transformation

and becomes a brown person. Just like Samsa, Anders struggles with his new identity because his

transformation becomes the source of fear in a racist society. Besides this major reference, the

novel The Last White Man (2022) is replete with allusions and references from The Metamorphosis

(1915).

In The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) the protagonist Changez comes up against drastic

transformation such as the characters of Anders and Samsa. His transformation both at the physical

and abstract levels is the source of fear particularly for Americans. Like Kafka, Hamid introduces

the transformed figure of Changez with long beard and changed views about the Western world

right at the beginning of the novel. Later on, the whole novel traces the causes and impacts of

Changez’s transformation under the racist and oppressive corporate structure of American society.

This research is significant as it will trace out the relationship between The Last White Man

(2022) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) by Hamid and The Metamorphosis (2015) by

Kafka. In this regard the researcher is intending to analyze the intertextual devices e.g. allusions,

references, quotations and pastiche presented in the texts of The last White Man (2022) and The

Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007). The primary focus of the research will be to highlight how the

writer has adopted Kafkaesque philosophy and style in his texts to present new themes and discuss

the prevailing issues like racism and Islamophobia in response to new situations and

circumstances.
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Objectives

1. To critically evaluate intertextual devices for studying characters, literary devices and plots

of the selected novels to trace intertexual elements in them, using the lens of intertextuality

2. To explore the representation of prevailing social issues such as racism and Islamophobia

in the selected novels which reflects Kafkaesque style and philosophy particularly as

presented in The Metamorphosis (1915)

Rational/Significance

The current research will focus on intertextual devices e.g. allusion, pastiche, quotations

and references in the texts of The Last white Man (2022) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007)

by Hamid. The researcher is interested in exploring the relationship between selected novels of

Hamid and Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis (1915) which will be used as an intertext in the

research. The study will also highlight Hamid’s conscious or unconscious efforts of adopting

Kafkaesque philosophy and style in developing characters, plots, literary devices and certain

themes.

The research is significant because these works are counter narratives to prevalent social

issues such as racism and Islamophobia. Hence this sort of intertextual analysis will enhance

reader’s understanding about Hamid’s literary style in presenting them. It will also open up new

perspectives for conducting researches on the literature produced by Pakistani diasporic writers

like Hamid who are interested in depicting the current social issues.
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Research Questions

1. In what ways intertexual devices help in analyzing the development of characters, plots

and literary devices of the selected texts by employing postmodern concept of

intertextuality?

2. How have the current social issues such as racism and islamophobia been depicted in the

selected novels that reflects Kafkaesque philosophy or style?

Review of the Literature

The themes of shifting identities and representation of hyperreality in the novel The

Reluctant Fundamentalist have been discussed by Nichole (2020) in the research thesis The

Reluctant Fundamentalist’s Depiction of the Postmodern. She has applied postmodern concept of

hyperreality by Jean Baudrillard on the text of the novel. The researcher while discussing about

the theme of shifting identities has talked about Changez identity which shifts throughout the

narrative. She further states that Hamid in this novel has tried to highlight America’s authority in

shaping the reality of 9/11. The researcher considers the firm Underwood Samson in which

Changez works as a symbolic representation of violent capitalist space. Furthermore Erica’s

nostalgia for Chris actually represents America’s nostalgia for a previous racist and hegemonic

state (Nichole, 2020).

Chandio (2017) in his research article The Reluctant Fundamentalist Negotiating Post

9/11 Muslim Identity, studies the theme of identity at multiple levels. He discusses the change in

Changez’s ethnical and religious identity at personal, professional and public level. At personal

level his relationship with Erica suffers. The element of intimacy and affection between them

vanishes. His professional life ruins because all the people in his surroundings start treating him

as hostile and “other” who is not part of their country. At public level he feels that people are
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suspicious of his identity and consider him as fundamentalist. After 9/11 he rejects the simulated

reality and media’s constructed images of Muslims as fundamentalists (Chandio, 2017).

Bhat (2015) also highlights the theme of identity in his research article Re-complicating

identity in Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist. He asserts that identity of characters

in the novel are linked with their culture and they are symbols of their American and Pakistani

cultures. Further the complex relationship between Erica and Changez actually symbolically

represents the relationship between America and Pakistan which is complex and remains at odds

due to distinct identities and differences. Changez’s identity is linked with his culture and people

consider him terrorist while Erica’s identity is associated with America which is caught in

nostalgia of his past glory. That’s why Erica prefers her dead American boyfriend Chris over

Changez (Bhat, 2015).

Salmeen (2019) identifies the theme of struggle for identity in The Reluctant

Fundamentalist in her research paper The Reluctant Fundamentalist: Hybridity and the Struggle

for Identity. After applying postcolonial perspectives of hybridity which results in fusion of two

culture and leads to existence of an in-between space, the researcher states that despite of his

utmost struggles to adjust himself in American society, Changez remains unable to fit in it and

becomes a stereotype. The feelings of being a foreign hunt Changez throughout the novel e.g.

during his visit to Philippines he struggles very hard to show himself a part of American culture

but unfortunately receives a discriminated treatment from the people (Salmeen, 2019).

The postcolonial themes of marginalization of a colonized subject after applying post-

colonial concepts of othering, hybridity and diaspora have been discussed by Pervez and Lashari

(2018) in the research paper Representation of Muslims’ condition in America after 9/11 incident:

Postcolonial study of the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist. According to the reserachers,
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Changez is a postcolonial subject and like a colonized country he is entangled in the chains of

colonialism. He is patriotic and loves his native land Pakistan but for achieving success in

American society he adopts its culture and ways of life. After 9/11 he realizes that he is “other”

means inferior to the natives because he belongs to ex-colonized state and cannot be a part of

colonizer’s country and culture (Pervez & Lashari, 2018).

In the research paper Investigating the Metropolitan Hegemon: A Postcolonial sociological

Reading of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, the researchers Ahmed and Malik (2019) have stated

that the theme of influential metropolitan hegemon is very prominent in the novel The Reluctant

Fundamentalist. In the above mentioned research the researchers have applied the postcolonial

concept of Metropolis and Non-Metropolis and state that the metropolitan hegemony of America

is very apparent in the text of the novel. They assert that the reader could perceive this hegemony

even right at the beginning of the novel because Changez is preoccupied with superiority of his

interlocutor who is an American. This unnamed American stands for metropolis and he possess

the accurate traits of the center (Ahmed & Malik, 2019)

The themes of cultural prejudices, political and economic domination of Western countries

have been depicted Fatima (2020) in her research article Neo-Colonial Trends Power Dynamics

between East and the West: A Case Study of Mohsin Hamid’s novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Fatima has applied the phenomenon of neo-colonial power relations which highlights the

hegemony of rich ex-colonial nations over the poor countries in the form of economic and cultural

dominance. The character of Changez lives and works for America which is a rich nation and

controls many poor countries of the world. However he realizes this through his encounter with

Juan Batista when he makes comparison of Changez with janissaries (Fatima, 2021).
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Mushtaq and Hayat (2016) in their research paper Marxist Critique of Disintegration of

Indigenous Value-System under Bourgeois Hegemony in Mohsin Hamid’s Novels have discussed

the themes of socio-economic disequilibrium in the aftermath of economic imperialism of North

through its multinational corporations in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. The researchers have

explored the presence of hegemony of corporate structure in the firm Underwood Samson an

American Firm which allures Changez through good salaries and economic benefits. Changez

adopts that culture and becomes a part of that. However after resigning from the firm he actually

resigns from American culture and policies (Mushtaq & Hayat, 2016).

Woltmann (2018) in her research article “She Did Not Me”: Gender, anxiety and Desire

in The Reluctant Fundamentalist talks about the themes of gender, anxiety and desire in the novel

The Reluctant Fundamentalist. She considers Changez love for Erica as a projection of many of

his intricate desires e.g. she could adjust herself into Princeton collegiate society and she belongs

to luxuriant cosmopolitan center of city which is also the dream of Changez. His desires to seek

recognition and sense of belonging are directly related to his love with Erica. Erica’s acceptance

of his love clearly reflects his successful and accepted life in America and later on her rejection

becomes the representation of Changez failed social and financial life after 9/11 (Woltmann, 2018)

. The theme of trauma and effects of 9/11 on Changez as well as on the whole diasporic

intellectual community living in America has been discussed by Hosseini and Baghaei (2020) in

the research article Representation of Trauma in post-9/11 Fiction: Revisiting Reminiscences in

Mohsen Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist. The researchers discuss the traumatic experience

of Erica after the death of Chris her boyfriend, on her relationship with Changez. Later on her own

disappearance leaves traumatic effects on Changez. One clear effect of trauma on Changez is that

he remains in the memories of past. After 9/11 he remains concerned about his future and keeps
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showing his likeness for his past life. The researchers due to Hamid’s nationality of being Pakistani

have pointed out that Changez trauma is actually the trauma of all Pakistani experienced after 9/11

(Baghaei & Hosseini, 2020).

Research Gap

The research gap of Kafkaesque study of Hamid’s two novels The Last White Man (2022)

and The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) by adopting postmodern concept of intextuality

expounded by Krestiva (1980) has been found. The researcher will foreground the interrelatedness

among the selected novels of Hamid and Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis (1915). Kafkaesque

study of Anders and Changez’s transformation in a racist and oppressive society will enhance

understanding of a common reader about Hamid’s literary style to present prevailing issues like

racism and Islamophobia in his novels. Both the novels bear striking similarities with Kafka’s The

Metamorphosis (1915) with regard to Characterization, themes and plots.

To the best of my knowledge The Last White Man (2022) by Hamid has not been analyzed

yet by any other researcher while the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) has undergone

a massive critical analysis. Such as the researchers, Mishra and Panigrahi (2015) have highlighted

the themes of infatuation and disenchantment with American dream in it. Similarly the researcher

scholars Tiwari and Sharma (2018) have identified references and allusions of The White Tiger

(2008) in it, but none of them has interpreted it in the light of Kafkaesque philosophy by applying

the concept of intertextuality.

Research Design and Methodology

The research will be chiefly based on qualitative research paradigm. The method of

analytical textual analysis will be used by the researcher in order to generate the desired results of

the research. The elements of plots, characterization, themes and literary devices will be critically
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analyzed in the novels The Last White Man (2022) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) by

Hamid and The Metamorphosis (1915) by Franz Kafka by applying postmodern concept of

intertextuality formulated by Kristeva (1980), in order to highlight the relationship among these

texts. Intertextual study focuses on the interrelationships of different texts. It emphasizes on a

text’s borrowing words, ideas and concepts from other texts (Allen, 2000).

The intertextual devices e.g. allusions, references, pastiche, and quotations devised by

Kristeva in her essay Word, Dialogue and Novel (1986) and explained by the critics such as Allen

(2000), Still and Worton (1990) and Zengin (2016) will be under discussion for achieving the

desired objectives of the research. The Kafkaesque philosophy and style consciously or

unconsciously adopted by Hamid to depict the prevailing social issues of racism and Islamophobia

will be highlighted through the close reading and analysis of the selected texts.

The research will be mostly content based and will focus on themes, literary devices,

characters and plots of the selected novels. The primary sources of data for research will be the

texts of the selected novels while the secondary sources will be the research articles published in

different well acknowledged research journals, books on Kristeva’s concept of intertuality and

some of the interviews of Hamid.

Delimitations and Limitations

The delimitations of the study will be the two selected texts of novels The Last White Man

(2022) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) by Hamid. The researcher has selected these

specific texts of novels to apply Kristeva’s concept of intertextuality (1980) to show their

relationship with Kafka’s novel The Metamorphosis (1915). The research will be qualitative in

nature and it will be based on qualitative research method of textual analysis.

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The study will be limited to the critical analysis of the selected texts. Furthermore the

research will be limited to the analysis of certain specific elements of the texts like characterization,

themes, literary devices and plots.

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Proposed Chapters for Thesis

Chapter No. 1 Introduction

Chapter No. 2 Historical Context

Chapter No. 3 Literature Review

Chapter No. 4 Research Design and Methodology

Chapter No. 5 Results and Discussions

Chapter No. 6 Conclusion and Policy Implications

References
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References

Ahmed, S., & Malik, M. A. (2019). Investigating the metropolitan hegmon: a postcolonial

sociological reading of the reluctant fundamentalist. Pakistan Social Science Review,

3(1), 224-233. doi:10.35484/pssr.2019(3-1)16

Allen, G. (2000). Intertextuality (1st ed.). London and New York: Routledge Publishers.

Baghaei, E., & Hosseini, S. (2020). Representation of trauma in post-9/11 fiction: revisiting

reminiscences in mohsen hamid's the reluctant fundamentalist. Cultural Literary Studies

Academic Journal,(Sep 22, 2020), 131-153. doi:10.34785/J014.2020.812

Bhat, S. H. (2015). Re-complicating identity in mohsin hamid's the reluctant fundamentalist.

International Journal of English Language, Literature and Humanities, 3, 447-452.

Retrieved from http://www.ijellh.com/

Chandio, M. T. (2017). The relutant fundamentalist negotiating post 9/11 muslim identity.

International journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 4(3), 62-87. Retrieved from

http://www.ijhcs.com/index.php/ijhcs/index/

Chaudhary, & Zahid. (2021). The interplay of simulacrum, hyper-reality and distorted identity in

hamid's fiction: a postmodern paradigm. International Journal of Linguistics and

Culture, 2(2), 117-134. doi:10.52700/ijlc.v2i2.44

Fatima, A. (2021). Neo-colonial trends power dynamics between east and the west: a case study

of mohsin hamid's novel the reluctant fundamentalist. International Journal of

Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI), 10(5), 55-58. doi:10.35629/7722-

1005035558
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Hamid, M. (2007). The reluctant fundamentalist (2nd ed.). Lahore: ILQA Publication.

Hamid, M. (2022). The last white man (1st ed.). London: Hamish Hamilton.

Kafka, F. (1999). The metamorphosis. PLANT EBOOK.COM.

Kennedy, V. (2018). Changez/cengiz's changing beliefs in the reluctant fundamentalist.

CLCWeb- Comparative Literature and Culture, 20(6), 1-13. doi:10.7771/1481-4374.3321

Khan, M. (2022). Postmodernist analysis of mohsin hamid's novel the reluctant fundamentalist.

Retrieved from http://www.academia.com/.

Kristeva, J. (1986). The kristeva reader (1st ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.

Mushtaq, T., & Hayat, D. M. (2016). Marxist critique of disintigration of indigenous value-

system under bourgeous hegemony in mohsin hamid's novels. Journal of social Sciences,

7(1), 140-153. Retrieved from http://www.researchgate.net/publication/359312752/

Nichole, K. (2020). The relutantan fundamentalist's depiction of the postmodern. (Student

Thesis, Bucknell University), 1-71. Retrieved from

http://digitalcommons.bucknell.edu/honours_theses/516/

Panigrahi, S. M. (2015). A reading of mohsin hamid's the reluctant fundamentalist through the

lens of cognitive polyphasia. International Journal of English Language, Literature and

Humanities, 3(10), 76-87. Retrieved from http://www.ijellh.com/

Pervez, W., & Lashari, M. A. (2018). Representation of muslims' condition in america after 9/11

incident: postcolonial study of the novel the reluctant fudamentalist. International

Journal of English Literature and Culture, 6(5), 86-90. doi:10.14662/JELC2018.045

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Salmeen, A. S. (2019). The reluctant fundamentalist: hybridity and the struggle for identity.

International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Science, 7(3), 31-37. Retrieved from

http://www.ijlaas.org/

Still, J., & Worton , M. (1990). Intertextuality: theories and practices (1st ed.). Manchester:

Manchester University Press.

Tiwari, R., & Kumar, S. (2018). Theory of intertextuality in the reluctant fundamentalist and the

white tiger. International Journal Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature, 6(3).

Retrieved from htts://oaji.net/articles/2017/488-1524566046.pdf

Woltmann, S. (2018). "She did not me" : gender, anxiety and desire in the reluctant

fundamentalist. Humanities 7(4):104, 7(4), 2-7. doi:10.3390/h7040104

Zengin, M. (2016). An introduction to intertextuality as a literary theory: definitions, axioms and

the originators. Sosyal Blilimler Enstitusu Dergisi, 299-326.

doi:10.5505/PAUSBED.2016.96729

Zindziuviene, I. (2014). Rambling Confessional Narrative in Mohsin Hamid's Novel The

Reluctant Fundamentalist . Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences .

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Time Table/ Work Plan

3rd. Semester (16 Weeks)

Week Work / Activity Comments By Supervisor

03 Weeks Allotment of Research Topic & Supervisor Done

01 Week Finalization of Research Topic Done

04 Weeks Literature Review and Methodology To be done

08 Weeks Sample Collection & Preparation for Analysis To be done

4th Semester (16 Weeks)

Week Work / Activity Comments By Supervisor

03 Weeks 1st Seminar To be done

07 Weeks Sample Analysis and Interpretation To be done

01 Week 2nd Seminar To be done

02 Weeks First Draft To be done

01 Week Second Draft To be done

02 Weeks Final Draft To be done

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____________________________

Name: Sumera Parveen

Research Scholar

Report of the Supervisor

Supervisor Head, School English

Ms. Ammara Maqsood Dr. Waqasia Naeem

Dean, Faculty of Languages

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Fakhrul-Haq-Nori