The Reluctant Fundamentalist Analysis

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ASSIGNMENT Name: Maliha Fazal Roll no: MA49 5575 Course Code: GENG 541 Course Title: Post-colonial Topic: “The reluctant fundamentalist” by “Mohsin Hamid” as a specimen of post-colonial work of literature. Date: 10th August 2016 Instructor: Miss Shazia Nasir The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, a post-colonial piece of literature, brilliantly tackles the deep rooted issues of identity crisis. Something that has been seeping gradually into the psyche of a post-colonial Pakistan for decades. It explores the vast differences in both cultural and political stances. The novel focuses on a post 9/11 world where the American war on terror has ensued and the world as we knew it had changed drastically. It also explores the reverberating…show more content…
Something that every “Desi” has always been in awe of and yearned for. Years of subjugation at the hands of British colonialists has left a deep reverberating imprint upon the minds of the colonized nation. We forever hold the Western society in high esteem and consider them to be flawless. The submissive nature can be seen in almost all aspects of life; from something as trivial as the colour of a person’s skin, their accent and attire. The paler the skin, the more cherished you’ll be and speaking English with an American accent automatically establishes superiority over non English speakers. The parameters of intellect and beauty judged upon the hue of skin and a voice dialect has for long been the…show more content…
What was once a land of opportunities, hopes and dreams was now putting their entire lives under constant strain. The turning point in his search for his own place and identity was the relationship he had with Erica, an experience that both, made him feel lucky and also at the same time experienced guilt for enjoying her companionship. That experience left an indelible impression upon him and made him realize how deeply flawed his perception and judgement of the American society really was and how they were in fact a society suffering from malaise. Living in the past was a trait prevalent in the Americans and they refused to let go of the glory of their past. They are guilty of racial intolerance and discriminate heavily. It helped remove the veil from changez’s eyes who previously thought that the Americans could do no wrong. His realization of his misconception lead him to a transformation in which he converts from being moulded by the American system into a reluctant fundamentalist. The author wants the superpower to accept its wrong doings and take responsibility for the mass tension and turn of events that have occurred globally due to their attitude of failing to accept people from diverse cultures and discriminating based on racial origins. He has effectively shown what a major impact has been left imprinted upon the
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