The Reluctant Fundamentalist

How is the wealth and class-conscious of Lahore both similar to and different from the wealthy New York society that Changez was first drawn to, and then later came to despise?

Can Erica’s view of Changez be considered a form of Orientalism? List and explain some instances in the novel that highlight Erica’s genuine respect for Changez as an individual and then those platitudes that perpetuate the concept of the “noble savage?”

Sacrifice is a motif that repeats itself in various ways throughout the novel. Starting with Changez’s life before being accepted to Princeton, his predicament in getting to America, his time while at Princeton, his work life while at Underwood Samson, and then his deepening relationship with Erica, explain the major sacrifices that Changez endured. Did these sacrifices make him or break him as an individual?

The conflict between traditional values and modern or contemporary values is a mainstay of the novel. Changez muses on this conflict while at the Lahore café. Explain the significance of old systems versus new ones in the novel. Are there pros and cons to each system? What happens when these systems clash?

Performativity is a significant motif in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. It suggests that identity is, to some extent, playing a part, sometimes over and over again, for the sake of appearance or for the benefit of keeping other people’s worldviews intact. Describe specific instances where Changez ‘performs’ for others, whether of his own free will or in an attempt to conform to social norms. 

Are the strange American’s actions those of someone who is a predator or someone who is prey? Or both? Give specific examples as well as the response from Changez to these examples.

Erica mentions that both she and Changez are similar in that they are homesick and long for something far way. Explain this concept in detail, citing examples from the novel to explain what Erica meant. Do you think she’s correct in her assumption? Are their longings for home the same, or is something different—darker even—at work in their respective experiences of ‘homesickness’?

The idea of a ‘reluctant’ fundamentalist is something of an oxymoron. Given the events portrayed in the novel, as well as Changez’s reaction to the growing resentment pervading American after 9/11, do you feel that any one side can be at fault? Can both? Does the term ‘reluctant’ place blame on the opposing side or implicate all involved?