Status Updates From The Reluctant Fundamentalis...

Over the course of this first third of the book i have noticed and been intrigued by how the author so skillfully can arouse thoughts in the reader's mind. The author made me feel excitement and on the edge of my seat when Changez has success however also uncomfortable and awkward when Erica mentioned his dead counterpart. This doesn't usually happen to me during books which has led me to deeply enjoy reading it.

When Erica takes Changez to her roof terrace, I think this shows that he has reached the top of New York society. Standing high above the city makes him feel powerful and successful, like he finally belongs. It is a private place that feels far away from his old life in Pakistan. But, being so high up also shows that he is losing touch with his roots. He is looking down on the world and forgetting where he came from.

I thought it was interesting how confident Changez seems on the surface while clearly feeling out of place underneath it. His pride in Princeton and America feels genuine, but there’s already tension between who he wants to be and where he comes from. The way he talks about success and belonging hints that this confidence might not last.

While Changez is talking about Wainwright, a beggar appears. The author stops the story because he wants to show the difference between the American’s ideas and the reality of Lahore. The beggar represents the country’s pain and how the American ignores it. This moment shows the American judging without seeing the full picture, and it makes me think this is a power test and he is trying to control the conversation.

I was very grateful and excited that Changez got the job at Underwood Samson. I believe it was because of Jim, the interviewer. He was who Changez really was. I have a feeling Changez will have a tough time at first but then he will become one of the greatest workers there. I think there will be a big challenge he will face but he will over come it.

I was confused on why Erica's dad was testing Changez's pateince. Changez said that he felt calm when he was with her parents and in her house. He said he felt at ease. Then Erica's dad was saying some pretty harsh stuff about Pakistan and this made Changez really frustrated. He also made some remarks about fundamentalism which also made Changez unhappy. I wonder why this happened? Did her dad not like Pakistan?

I think the author was very strategic when naming characters in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. A prime example of this is with Erica. Erica’s name sounds a lot like “America,” and the author did this purposefully as she almost represents and acts like the country. She seems kind and exciting to Changez at first, but she is emotionally distant, showing that America welcomes him but does not fully accept him.

Erica and Changez meet again in New York City, and each time they meet they seem closer. Still, their relationship feels close to ending. Changez is clearly in love with Erica, but Erica cannot let go of her feelings for her past relationship with Chris. She knows she is not ready to move on, so she keeps Changez close and depends on his polite and caring nature.

Chapter 2 made me think a lot about Changez as a person. He is definitely tied up with Erica. He is also a very impressive person and was interested with the interview he did for Jim. It was shown that Changez is "exotic" and that it helps him fit in, but also keeps him separate. The American stranger seems more relaxed and the tension is lessened, but it feels like the author is still giving us clues.

At the end of chapter 2, Changez’s story suddenly cuts back to the American checking his phone. This shift felt random. The author does this to remind us that the conversation is tense and dangerous. By interrupting the story, the author keeps the reader alert, and it makes me predict the American will start asking Changez questions that force him to defend himself, and the conversation will get more intense.

I was happy that Changez finally got his job at Underwood Samson. I think that it was mostly because the interviewer, Jim, saw himself in Changez during the interview. However, I felt something weird through the reading as if Changez will not be able to succeed like Jim. There is no clear evidence yet, but I guess in the future that Changez will face a major challenge that could lead him to a significant failure.

As the story went on, I think the wall that separates Greece from the Mid East was once collapsed in Changez's mind when he first got to the U.S.. However, after seeing how Americans are a lot different than him and how Erica's dad is commenting on the stereotypes of Pakistan, a wall in his mind reforms again. I wonder if anything bad will happen between him and Erica after the met with her family.

The interview that I read stood out to me because of how tense Changez felt. This job means more than just work to him it represents stability and respect. Since his family struggles financially and success matters a lot. Changez wanted real wealth, not just the appearance of it, but others judged him based on looks and status rather than his true self.

These pages were written with a weird warm familiarity. The idea of home is emphasized in this section and I enjoy how the author develops Erica and Changez's relationship. I also like how Mohsin Hamid represents how he is as a worker in the end. I observed that the book becomes less about subtle details here and while there are small references and new york meanings, there is less about intention.

Erica's interaction with Changez is quite interesting, different from how "classic" americans would interact. Changez's first way of approaching Erica was very subtle, in his mind building relations by small interactions like these are what brings people close together. Once again differentiating from "classic" americans. Hamid's does this numerous times, showing clear differences from the two cultural aspects.

Something that piqued my curiosity while reading is why Changez takes the time to tell the American about his life story. While Changez’s story serves the reader by showing the Pakistani perspective of America I feel like Changez has an ulterior motive in telling the American his story. I think Changez purposely seeked him out with a goal in mind, maybe he is someone he knew from his time at Underwood and Samson.

After reading the first few pages of the book I noticed a few themes. One of them is the multiple times he has talked about a woman’s breast. Understand the appeal of a woman’s breast, it is just not as normal of an analogy.

I felt impressed by Changez's confidence but also a little unsure of his true intentions when talking. I think that Changez's view towards America has changed since he first arrived. I also realized that the way Jim speaks felt supportive but also distant. I'm unsure whether his guidance was personal or just more like a work habit, which made the interactions between them more confusing.

On page 61, I felt Changez’s confidence growing at Underwood Samson. He is focused, proud, and good at his job, compared to Wainwright, his non-white friend in Underwood Samson, who seems less confident compared to Changez. At the same time, Erica’s sadness becomes clearer, adding tension. Her father’s comments about Pakistan made me feel like a foreshadowing of one of the reasons their relationship broke down later.

It was interesting to mention New York's skyline and compare it with Pakistan's skyline because I think it showed that the exterior of the United States seems like a perfect place, unlike Pakistan. But it seems like the exterior creates a distance between Changez and America due to an appearance and different culture. It may be a reason why the relationship between Changez and Erica waned.

I was excited for Changez when he found success in his new job at Underwood Samson. I believe this opportunity has helped Changez find who he truly is and how he is going to contribute to society, as he stated on page 4. I still predict 911 or girlfriend problems with Erica will affect Changez experiance/life in America. Since this is centered around the time of 911 I believe this will affect Changez significantly.

I was shocked by how Changez went out drinking with his work colleagues when his home culture is against alcohol. I believe the author put this in his writing to show people the lesson that people don't stick to their own beliefs when breaking them means fitting in. Changez previously mentioned he has drunk at home, but I still believe that this resembles a real-world problem, a powerful lesson from a small action.

From the first two chapters, I acquired some background knowledge of Changez, the main character(protagonist). His characteristic is different from the typical Americans being described in the book. After Changez met Erica, it is clear that his polite stand out from the rest of the graduates that has a higher social status or richer family than Changez. I wonder what will happen to the relationship in the future.