Moshin Hamid’s purposeful ambiguity forces the reader to consider various point of views. A viewpoint that stuck out so dramatically to me while reading his novel, “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”, was the strong parallel between Eric’s character and Changez’s relationship with the United States of America. Changez first moves to America as a college student on a scholarship he received from Princeton University. After graduating college he moves to New York City to accept a prestigious job offer with a company named Underwood Samson. Primarily, he feels very welcomed and at home while in America but when it comes down to it, his loyalty belongs to Pakistan. Changez doesn’t realize that until he speaks with Juan-Bautista. Changez reflects upon …show more content…
I spent that night considering what I had become. There really could be no doubt: I was a modern-day janissary, a servant of the American empire at a time when it was invading a country with a kinship to mine and was perhaps even colluding to ensure that my own country faced the threat of war. Of course I was struggling! Of course I felt torn! I had thrown in my lot with the men of Underwood Samson, with the officers of the empire, when all along I was predisposed to feel compassion for those, like Juan-Bautista, whose lives the empire thought nothing of overturning for its own gain.” Even though he had no participation in the events of 9/11, Changez feels blamed for it everywhere he turns. His colleagues have begun to separate themselves from him just because of his heritage and just like most people would, Changez takes this to heart. He is fighting against his homeland in a suit rather than an …show more content…
When Changez first meets Erica in Greece they create a stable friendship which is similar to the his primary relationship with the United States of America. Just like the states, Erica seems queenly at first but soon drags Changez down with her depression. Prior to 9/11, Erica was a young woman who glowed with life and effortlessly attracted people to her being. Although once the events of 9/11 took place, Erica’s mental and physical health took a turn for the worst. She became filled with the memories of her deepest insecurities and she returns to the mental state she previously obtained when her beloved ex-boyfriend, Chris, passed away. Changez makes countless attempts to help Erica move past her heart-broken demise which mostly involves her deceased ex-boyfriend but each try fails more dramatically than the previous. Erica is eventually committed to a Mental Health Facility (which becomes a place Changez is advised not to visit) and presumably commits suicide by stripping down her clothes and running off a near-by cliff into a harsh river. Changez is just as incompatible with Erica as he is with America being that Hamid created the character of Erica to symbolize the detached aspect of the US. Changez finally makes this connection when he says, “It seemed to me that America, too, was increasingly giving itself over to a
Many people are become and are shaped by their country, beliefs, and values. Zia is an international student from Pakistan who is studying to be able to join the civil service in Pakistan. His ultimate goal is to teach political philosophy. Because he is from Pakistan he has certain different beliefs and values, from Americans, that model his behavior and interactions with others, but I won’t be talking about the person he is in Pakistan. No, I will be writing about the person Zia is here at Concordia College-Moorhead and the impact he has had on those around him.
It was hard to leave,” (Dumas 18). The California community welcomed them with open arms and was sad to see them go. This awe-inspiring impression of Americans left the Dumas family mourning their departure. Years after the Dumas family left America, the Iranian Revolution took place and Americans were shunning anyone of Islamic ties. Hence, Dumas’ reflection on the fact that her relatives who moved there afterward would be ridiculed and dissed and that they wouldn't get to experience the amiable and kind-hearted spirit of
In Joseph Plumb Martin’s account of his experiences in the Revolutionary War he offers unique insight into the perspective of a regular soldier, which differs from the views of generals and leaders such as popular characters like George Washington. Martin’s narrative is an asset to historical scholarship as a primary source that gives an in-depth look at how life in the army was for many young men during the War for Independence. He described the tremendous suffering he experienced like starvation and privation. He did not shy away from describing his criticism of the government who he believes did not adequately care for the soldiers during and after the war. While he may be biased because of his personal involvement as a soldier, he seems to relate accounts that are plausible without embellishment or self-aggrandizement. Overall, “A Narrative of A Revolutionary Soldier” is a rich source of information providing an overview of military experience during the war.
Square Peg: Why Wesleyans Aren't Fundamentalists, a book edited by Al Truesdale and published by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, examines two significantly different ways of understanding the nature and role of the Bible that mark different parts of Christ’s church. The first is represented by fundamentalism; the second by Wesleyan theology. The goal of the book is to help persons in Wesleyan denominations clearly understand the differences between Wesleyan theology and fundamentalist theology, and that even though both are of the Christian faith, how the theology between the two are incompatible with one another. “Without becoming divisive or claiming perfection in Christian doctrine, the various denominations hold theological positions that reflect their Christian experience, history and understanding of the Scriptures.” (loc 124 Kindle, Truesdale) Wesleyans believe that the proof of the gospel reside primarily in how a person lives their life and “not in logic and argumentation.” (loc 160 Kindle, Truesdale) They support the policy of that to get a better understanding of their faith, is the result of all fields of human exploration and research, from scientific to historical.
Amir notes the change he and Baba experienced in American—“For me, America was a place to bury my memories. For Baba, a place to mourn his” (129).
The reader is put in the middle of a war of nerves and will between two men, one of which we have grown up to learn to hate. This only makes us even more emotional about the topic at hand. For a history book, it was surprisingly understandable and hard to put down. It enlightened me to the complex problems that existed in the most memorable three months this century.
Particularly, he challenges Evey to be stronger than her past because “[it] can't hurt [her] anymore, not unless [she] allows it” (). Furthermore, the government has turned her into a “victim” and a “statistic,” but she has the power to free herself. It is Evey's responsibility to find such power within herself and become “forever changed”. Evey's transformation occurs when she leaves ignorance behind and becomes acquainted with her pain.... ...
Amir, from The Kite Runner, is no stranger to this viewpoint of America, with conscious acknowledgment of using the country as a way to forget his past sins and form a new life. One can argue that Amir needs his experience returning to Kabul to rescue Sohrab as a way to engrain appreciation for his lifestyle in America. This return is the only way for Amir to be cleansed of his sins, as stated in The Kite Runner, “‘Come. There is a way to be good again,’ Rahim Khan said on the phone just before hanging up. Said it in passing, almost as an afterthought” (Hosseini 192).
The Carraway’s claim themselves to be loyal Americans. However, when Nick’s great uncle was called to fight in the Civil War, a substitute was sent in his place. This provides concrete evidence of Nick’s honesty. If he is able to see hypocrisy within his own family, there is no doubt that he is a forthright gentleman. Nick g...
In 'Made You Mine, America' Ali Zarrin describes his coming to the USA as a teenager to study and find himself a better future. It was a struggle for him to cope with the differences from his native country in the Middle East: America was to be the country of dreams and possibilities, but he had to realize it had the poor and homeless people as well.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you moved to America from a different country? In both Of Beetles and Angels and Funny in Farsi you read about two different authors who moved to America from other countries using different perspectives, purposes, and strategies in their text. First, in Of Beetles and Angels, author Mawi Asgedom uses his parents’ advice after moving to America through reflection. And second, in Funny in Farsi, author Firoozeh Dumas comically deals with the constant interviewing through humor and sarcasm when she too moved to the “land of opportunity”.
Based on the effects and aftermath of the World Trade Centre bombings, The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) by Mohsin Hamid uses an engaging monologue to tell thought provoking story of a young Pakistani man’s journey to self discovery and addresses the ramifications of the controversial nature of nostalgia inflicted upon characters and nations. The novel explores the notion of nostalgia in various ways. Through the characterization of Erica, Hamid conveys the self-destructive nature of nostalgia. Hamid furthermore uses Erica as an allegory for America; both entangled in a web to recreate the past due to the unpleasant dilemma of the present, and further present a comparison between the two contradictory adoptions of nostalgia in the lives of Changez and Jim. Through the individual approaches of nostalgia, Hamid successfully manages to convey to the reader the hazards of holding on to the past and its traditions and the inevitable change that must be embraced.
Erin fights for respect and acceptance from a world, which tends to judge from appearance only. Ed accuses her of extortion when she attempts to get raises out of him every time he approves her doing another job with the PG&E case. She asks for increase in salary and at one-point event benefits. Ed ends up giving it to her maybe because he knows that she is on to something and it could end up being really big. However, sh...
In the beginning of the novel, Changez tells the stranger that he is a lover of America. We see throughout the novel, that he immerses himself in America, treats America like a lover. In this case, a “lover” is one who knows the bad and good and yet still loves. At the start, Changez is overly obsessed with the idea of be seen as an American and not a Pakistani. However, towards the end of the novel his identity shifts more to his Pakistani roots as he is greatly hurt by Am(Erica), which results in him leaving. This reflects a complex relationship he has with America that affects his identity tremendously pre 9/11 and post
... Aside from power, the recurrent leitmotif is the constant comparisons that Changez makes between America and Pakistan. (‘Lahore, the second largest city in Pakistan, home to as many people as New York...’) Also, he resents the grouping of Islamic identity as one by symbols such as the beard, burqa, etc. Yet, he too homogenizes the American identity to an extent. He frequently describes other Americans as ‘not unlike yourself’ and their actions as ‘just as you are doing now.’