St Joseph’s College: Identity Crisis in The Reluctant Fundamentalist

This essay delves into the theme of identity crisis in Mohsin Hamid's novel, 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist,' focusing on the protagonist Changez, a Pakistani man experiencing a transformation after the 9/11 attacks. The essay analyzes how Changez's American dream is shattered, leading to a conflict between American capitalism and his Islamic religious values. It explores the symbols within the novel, such as the beard, the Twin Towers, and animal symbolism, to illustrate Changez's psychological and cultural struggles. The essay argues that Changez's journey reflects the broader experiences of Muslims facing discrimination and identity challenges in post-9/11 America, ultimately leading him to return to his homeland and rediscover his identity.

Running head: IDENTITY CRISIS IN THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
IDENTITY CRISIS IN THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author's Note:

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IDENTITY CRISIS IN THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a reputed novel by Mohsin Hamid which is purely based
on the devastating incident of 9/11, which changed the lies of the residentials of that country and
paved the way for racial discrimination and most impotently the hatred for the entire Muslims in
the world (Hamid, 2007). The protagonist of this novel is a Pakistani young man, Changez who
has followed the great American dream and become a part of the developed America rather than
being a resident of a developing country Pakistan. This novel is the story of thousands of
Muslims who once associated themselves as the loyal residents of America but transformed
fiercely to save themselves as well as their Islam identities. This is a tale of transformation of a
person who wanted a peaceful life in a territory, where the government with all their forces and
people compelled him to suffer from identity crisis and dependence on peace and leave the
place of his dream.
The critics have defined identity crisis as the feeling of understand or confusion in which
the individuals lose security of their sense due to the change in their expected goals and roles in
the society (Balfour, 2017). In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, the protagonist Changez cannot
relate the situation he faced after the attack of 9/11 with the period before it. The values and
beliefs found in The Reluctant Fundamentalist, is purely humanitarian in which the author has
pointed out that human is the truth and so also their loyalty and love, hatred is temporary but
affects the lives of the innocents. This philosophy of The Reluctant Fundamentalist has been the
chief factor that can be seen in every turn of the life of the protagonist and the readers ca feel
connected with this.
From the very beginning of the novel the feeling of insecurity and threat can be identified
where the protagonist fails to put trust on anyone around him. There is a complete change in the
perspectives and situation which does not allow Changez to stand properly. All other people

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around him who used to had believe on him rather loved him have changed immediately after the
incident this leads him to remain in ethical dilemma all the time. The plots of the novels sharply
contrast the situation of the protagonist and create scope for the readers to feel the pain
originated from hatred and suspicion (Jönsson, 2015). It is an unexpected turn in the life in which
the highly reputed employee of a reputed American firm is turned into ashes psychological as he
was snatched away which he once built or deserved.
The flow of the plot reflects the change in the human nature and self-opposing qualities
in the character of Changez. After he faced the atrocities of war, he changed himself completely.
In spite of his father’s repeated request, he never thought od settled in his own motherland but
the blow of war instantly changed his fate (Findlay, 2015). The dream he once seen to settle in
America by marrying Erica, turned into a nightmare. However, the irony lies in the fact that
despite he faced intense hatred from the country that he once loved, could not take part in the
terrorist ideology to ruin it. The American dream is completely tumbledown but he discovered
another personality of himself by returning in his country Finally, it can be stated that as the
protagonist found himself to be divided between two cultures which are completely different
fundamentally which include American capitalism and Islamic religious values. Among these the
first one was prominent initially but the later one dominated it through an incident.
The novel has layers of symbols starting from the cultural, religious, psychological to the
animal symbols. The beard is one of the most important signatures of Islamism which seem to be
associated with the protagonist when he returns to Pakistan and changes himself. Changez’s
American dream symbol is presented through his love for Erica and achievement in the
Underwood and Samson for which he did not pay heed to his father’s request. One of the most
import symbol here is the fall of the Twin Tower that ruined the economy, psychology and lives

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of the Americans and so also the lives of the protagonist (Findlay, 2015). The irony of fate is the
most important driving factor of the plots of Mohsin’s novel. Whenever Changez have felt
blessing of his God, fate changed his course of life. The animal symbolism associated with bats
refers to the man-made environment in the city. Thus, Changez becomes the toy in the hands of
fate and suffers from identity crisis.

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References:
Balfour, L. A. (2017). Risky Cosmopolitanism: Intimacy and Autoimmunity in Mohsin Hamid’s
The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, 58(3), 214-
225.
Findlay, L. (2015). Exploring the Relationship between America and Pakistan in Mohsin
Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Mira Nair’s Film Adaptation. Representing
9/11: Trauma, Ideology, and Nationalism in Literature, Film, and Television, 201.
Hamid, M. (2007). Reluctant Fundamentalist,(PB). Penguin Books India.
Jönsson, R. (2015). Literature for the Intercultural Classroom: Discussing Ethnocentric Issues
Using The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.