Thanks to visit codestin.com
Credit goes to www.scribd.com

Scribd
Upload
49 views3 pages

Focus Essay

In the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist, the narrator Changez recounts his past to an unnamed American man. While Changez portrays himself as originally being enamored with America and a "lover" of the country, the document argues that Changez may have been untruthful in parts of his narration. Specifically, his overly intimate sharing of a past relationship was likely an attempt to gain sympathy from the man. By the end, when the man reaches for something in his jacket, Changez expresses hope that the "shared intimacy" would prevent harm, implying the man may have been sent to confront Changez and Changez's narration aimed to manipulate their interaction.

Uploaded by

api-566347071
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
49 views3 pages

Focus Essay

In the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist, the narrator Changez recounts his past to an unnamed American man. While Changez portrays himself as originally being enamored with America and a "lover" of the country, the document argues that Changez may have been untruthful in parts of his narration. Specifically, his overly intimate sharing of a past relationship was likely an attempt to gain sympathy from the man. By the end, when the man reaches for something in his jacket, Changez expresses hope that the "shared intimacy" would prevent harm, implying the man may have been sent to confront Changez and Changez's narration aimed to manipulate their interaction.

Uploaded by

api-566347071
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Akira Robertson-Chambers

Mrs. Lesnick

IB English HL

21 August 2022

To what extent was Changez's recounting of the past untruthful?

“Given that you and I are now bound by a certain shared intimacy, I trust it is from the holder of

your business cards”

In the Reluctant Fundamentalist, Moshin Hamid uses Changez as a narrator of his past. This

narration, all though directed to the American man, is as much of a conversation between

Changez and the American as it is between Changez and the audience. Hamid uses this literary

method to convey Changez’s story as it creates an intimate connection with those reading in

addition to an extensive understanding of Changez’s thoughts and perspectives. However, by

allowing Changez to narrate, without any means of checking for inaccuracies, Hamid leaves

room for speculation on the validity of the narration of the novel.

The idea that Changez is not completely truthful in the recounting of his past, not because his

memories have faded over time, but because he is attempting to deceive his audience is not

apparent until one has read the entirety of the novel. However, the roots of deceptions may be

found as early as the first page. While originally making his acquaintance with the American

man Changez ensures him that he is a “lover of America” (Hamid, 1). This statement, during the

earlier portions of this novel, does hold up to be true. With his initiation to Samsung underwood

and the world of high finance Changez saw a opportunity, he saw the fruits of the American
dream. Changez was a “young New Yorker” enamored by the grand architecture of his

workplace and the provided amenities such as hefty expense accounts (Hamid,45). Hamid

allowed for droplets of Changez’s current resentment to slip through at times, particularly while

discussing the contrast between America and Pakistan.

Hamid detailed Changez’s negative experiences in a post-9/11 America through unsavory

interactions with strangers on the streets and coworkers employed in underwood Samsung.

However, nothing alludes to Changez’s untruthful nature as Hamid's inclusion of Erica. Erica is

presented as a complicated past love interest to Changez, and although she was incredibly

important to him and his experience in America she is a topic much too sensitive to share with a

stranger. Erica was used by Changez to gain sympathy and to show his humanity to the

American man. This became increasingly apparent during chapter 6 between the pages 87 and 92

while Changez shares his sexual experience with Erica. The intimacy needed between two

individuals to share the details of this scene is far greater than that shared between the two men

eating together. In addition, Hamid ensured that the importance of Changez’s sexual relations did

not spread beyond Erica. This was done by creating inner turmoil through the viewing of

“American troops dropping into Afghanistan” shortly after Changez’s time with Erica

(Hamid,99).

During the final scene of the novel, Hamid reveals the potential motivation behind Changez’s

deception. Just outside the American hotel, the unnamed man reaches into his jacket revealing a

“glint of metal” (Hamid,184). Changez states that due to their “shared intimacy” he “trusts it is

from the holder of [the Americans] business cards” (Hamid,184). Changez is a Pakistani man

who left America during an uncertain time in a very strange and rushed manner. Knowing this it

is not beyond belief to think that this American man was truly an agent sent for Changez. The
lies interwoven into Changez's story were to create “shared intimacy” as he knew who the man

was and hoped that perhaps he could appeal to his emotion and prevent the use of whatever was

creating the glint inside of his jacket.

You might also like