Reluctant Fundamentalist Essay

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“The Reluctant Fundamentalist” is a story about nostalgia. Roshin Hamid’s “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” is a story with many different themes and ideas, but the one that is highlighted throughout the novel is definitely nostalgia, also known as a “longing for the past”. The main character in the novel, Changez, viciously states in the that; “nostalgia is America’s crack cocaine”, which can be seen as something very harmful, as well as temporarily lifting. Nostalgia comes in many different forms, for in America, it is the time before 9/11, or in Erica, as her ‘crack cocaine’ is Chris, a lost lover. 9/11 was an extremely significant moment in time not only for America, but for the rest of the world to observe as well, as it is the only time in history that America has been “brought down to it’s knees.” After this event, nostalgia was prevalent throughout the nation, as millions upon millions continue to this day to mourn and hope for the times before this event. In the novel, we see Erica begin to crumble after the time 9/11 happens, falling into a pit of depression and longing for Chris, and the only thing Changez can do is stand and watch in despair, even becoming a byproduct of this nostalgia, as he is called a “fucking Arab” in his workplace parking lot. Underwood Sampson is a representative of America in Hamid’s story, the business runs under very straight ethics, about just piling through people and living under a very bland and upsetting regime, always focusing on the future. At the start of Changez’ career working at Underwood Sampson, he feels that his “life is a film, in which [he] is the star”. living the American dream, after all, the whole reason why he departed to America is to perhaps help heighten himself and his family’s social prestige back in Lahore. Although, all of this is intervened with Erica’s problems in the end. Erica is also a

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