In The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, the author directs the reader's attention to the sense of distrust and suspicion that many Americans feel particularly towards Middle Easterners and Muslims in general after September 11th. In this way, Hamid forces the reader to confront this truth and either relate to it or feel guilty in the knowledge that it is a reaction based primarily on bias in the media's portrayal of a terrorist. The American idea of ​​a terrorist in post-9/11 culture has essentially been reduced to a Disney-villain portrayal of Middle Easterners and Muslims, with the enemy perceived as a dark-skinned, unshaven, turbaned replica of Jafar. from Disney's Aladdin. Through a carefully constructed narrative that uses one-sided dialogue between the characters Changez and "the American," Hamid throws this prejudice in the reader's face, but also cleverly leaves room for different interpretations of Changez's true nature: Is he harmless? , or is it exactly what many Americans fear it might be? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The narrator, Changez, constantly reassures the American to whom he is telling his story that he is not in danger. The first sentences of the novel bring awareness to the reality that the appearance of the typical Middle Eastern Muslim scares many Americans and makes them nervous. Changez says, “Ah, I see I have alarmed you. Don't be afraid of my beard: I am a lover of America” (1). Having established the commonality of this notion of prejudice against bearded Muslims in American culture, the author proceeds to arouse the reader's xenophobic tendencies by depicting Changez as an individual overly eager to convince the American character of his innocence. An example of this is evident when Changez talks about the tea brought by the waiter. He says, “Don't look so suspicious. I assure you, sir, nothing untoward will happen to you, not even a runny stomach. After all, it's not as if he was poisoned. Come, if it is more convenient for you, allow me to exchange my cup for yours. Just like that” (11). The fact that the author does not give any dialogue to the American character contributes to the dubious nature of Changez because we can only know what the American thinks or says through Changez's narrative reaction. Hamid purposely uses this literary device to keep the reader guilty of prejudice, but also to maintain a certain degree of truth even in the suspicion of ill will. After all, Changez behaves bizarrely by approaching the American unsolicited and diving into a long, intimate discussion of his past. Who does it? It's suspicious, and that's exactly what Hamid tries to capitalize on. There is some truth to the argument that Americans – and people in general, for that matter – often attribute ill will to a stranger who is openly friendly and generous without any known pretext. This could be seen as unwarranted paranoia, but the fact that this is the method used by many criminals to gain the trust of their victims also means that it is naive not to be skeptical. It's a dichotomous situation that evokes notions of Shakespeare's Hamlet and raises the question: Is it paranoia if suspicion is validated? This is the case with Hamlet, as he is ultimately killed just as he feared. Hamid chooses not to provide a conclusion and instead leaves the scene up to interpretation. Hamid seems to enjoy playing with the reader's feelings towards Changez. Changez's relationship with Erica can be seen as a parallel to thehis desire to be accepted and embraced by a nation plagued by xenophobia. Erica's inability to give up her past mirrors America's inability to accept changes (read: Changez) that threaten to erase the nostalgia of pre-9/11 America. Erica wants to love Changez, but can't; just as America cannot seem to shake off the overwhelming prejudice against Middle Eastern Muslims despite wanting to consider itself a country tolerant of all races, creeds and languages. By developing this tragic love story, Hamid aims to create sympathy towards Changez. Why can't Erica and America accept him for who he is? Why does Changez's boss ridicule him for growing a beard? It's just a beard. At the same time, Hamid also insinuates that Changez is becoming increasingly resentful of American intolerance. Changez says: Sometimes I found myself walking the streets, sporting my beard as provocation, longing for conflict with anyone reckless enough to antagonize me. Snubs were everywhere; the rhetoric emerging from your country at that moment in history – not only from the government, but also from the media and supposedly critical journalists – provided ready and constant fuel for my anger. (167) By calling it “your country,” Changez removed himself from any identification with America. He goes on to say that “[s]uch America had to be stopped not only in the interest of the rest of humanity, but also in its own” (168). Changez's anger and pledge to "stop" America's current course of anti-Muslim sentiment raises the question: What has he done? This question is never directly answered in the novel. Changez acknowledges this question, saying, “What have I done to stop America, you ask? Do you really have no idea, sir? …I will tell you what I did, though it wasn't much and I fear it may not meet your expectations” (168-9). Despite promising to answer this question, Changez never actually does. He claims to have become a "lecturer" at a university and to "persuade [students] of the merits of participation in independence demonstrations in Pakistan's domestic and international affairs;" however, this hardly resolves the “snubs” that made Changez so angry (179). The indeterminacy of this question suggests the idea that the answer lies in the reader's interpretation of the novel's ending. Does Changez stop American arrogance and intolerance by showing an American his good nature and friendship by sharing a meal, divulging intimate details about himself, walking him home, and ending the meeting with a handshake? Or is there something more sinister in the fact that he corners the American on a dark, deserted street while the waiter “quickly closes the entrance” and “motions to [Changez] to hold [the American] back ]” (184 )? Does Changez stop American intolerance the same way the Trenchcoat Mafia guys stopped bullying at Columbine? Do you subscribe to Martin Luther King's philosophy of nonviolence to address racial intolerance, or Malcolm X's philosophy of “any means necessary”? Changez claims to be “no ally of the assassins,” yet he also admits to “intervening” in a “fight” that ends with him with “bruised knuckles” (181; 179). It would be inaccurate, therefore, to say that Changez is completely nonviolent and morally incapable of inflicting harm. But to what extent Changez is violent is a question left to the reader. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Hamid's brilliant use of narration to create both suspicion and guilt in the reader does.