The Reluctant Fundamentalist: A Book Everyone Should Read

 by Faye Rustell

When I finished this short novel during the Christmas break last year, I found that Mohsin Hamid had created a book that I feel everyone should make an attempt to read at some point in their life. I say this due to the fact that as soon as I began to reflect on it, all I wanted to do was discuss it with someone. The messages in the book were so vital and relevant to everyday life and not only was I profoundly moved by the storyline, but the way in which Hamid used language in such a simple form to convey such complex messages resonated enormously with me. 

The story takes place in Pakistan centred in an authentic coffee shop, where two encounters, Changez and ‘The American’ (who remains unnamed and holds no dialogue throughout the entire novel), hold a conversation essentially between two cultures, the West and the East. Something that immediately struck me was how the stranger never speaks in the novel and is only characterised by the name of ‘The American’ which Hamid intentionally does in order for the reader to have power over creating one’s own perception and interpretation. Yet, a very clear image is established from Changez’s remarks and reactions as a way of forming an image and persona for the reader which is clear yet stereotypical of a traditional western businessman. Changez Khan is a middle class Pakistani chasing his dream of success in a Wall Street valuation firm, he is thought highly of by his boss however, when on a business trip he sees footage of the 911 bombing and the protagonist quickly realises that his future could now take an entirely new path due to his ethnic background. I found it somewhat strange at first at how Changez initially laughs in reaction to the bombing of the twin towers in New York as this is unusual for such a serious matter, yet the character explains how he didn’t look at the attack as directly intended to inflict the victims but more symbolically as an attack on America. The author is exploring an entirely different perspective in response to the terrorist attack, encouraging us as readers to consider this viewpoint, something that I found to be incredibly powerful. It is also clear throughout the book that the character contains almost a progressing hatred for the nation, and 911 allowed him to take pleasure in the fact that America had been ‘brought to their knees’ in a way Changez believed it ought to be. 

The purpose behind the singular narrative novel is to encourage the reader as well as society more broadly, to focus on the ill treatment of Muslims and other ethnic minorities like Pakistanis after acts of terrorism and to challenge the matters of racism still relevant. The author uses a book of only roughly 200 pages to be concise whilst exploring the life of a young Pakistani and his meaning in the world and I believe that Changez represents the idea that every individual has the power to produce change in the world. He shows how to use our voice in a way that has meaning and significance instead of using conflict or warfare. We are encouraged to wonder whether the meeting between narrator and interlocutor is accidental. Changez's reassurances to the American throughout the novel – "Do not look so suspicious. I assure you, sir, nothing untoward will happen to you" – have an unsettling effect. Additionally, near the end of the novel he is unconvincingly promising that the men who seem to be following them out of the restaurant "mean you no harm". But perhaps the narrator is the target. Having become an influentially "anti-American" spokesman, Changez might be a target for assassination. His companion has a satellite phone, and that bulge under his suit. Who has the power here out of the two characters?

The book reminded me of the power stories have to inflict fundamental teachings and messages like racism and inequality that can become lost through the ever changing times of the modern world, and reading the novel in just two days, taking around 3/4 hours, just a small proportion of time, has had a huge impact on how one can change and conduct oneself in order to live in a more pleasant environment with one another. I strongly encourage whoever you are to read this at some point. Whilst the story is short and arguably blunt at times, the teachings behind it are empowering. Hamid forces society as an entire body to wake up and realise issues that are so prevalent in our surroundings and this ulterior viewpoint creates a perspective I have never encountered before.