Rhetorical Strategies and Stylistic Devices Allusion – An association to a person, place, event or something derived from the story that has no exact explanation to its meaning. It makes the reader infer or connect ideas to understand what is being said. Aphorism – A brief remark of a truth, an opinion, or a statement of a principle. (Ex: less is more) Diction – The choice of words in a piece of literature, that makes it different and gives it its own style. There’s a reason why the author chose to use certain vocabulary.
“The Reluctant Fundamentalist intertwines several stories in order for the reader to make sense of the post 9/11 world” Pakistani Author, Mohsin Hamid’s “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” is a potent example of post 9/11 literature. The story follows an encounter between two apparent strangers in a Lahore Café: one, a silent and nameless American, the other a talkative and educated Pakistani, Changez, who imposes an array of stories of his experience in America upon “The American”. Recounting his experiences, Changez, and indeed Hamid, reveal much about the patriotic and emotional climate in the USA after the September 11 attacks. Hamid’s multiple narratives help the reader to make sense of the post 9/11 world as the framed narrative can be read as an allegory, with characters symbolic of different facets of America and its relationship with the international community. The action unfolding in the café helps the reader to evaluate the complex cultural tensions and fears of the post 9/11 world.
When a writer writes analytically, they go into more depth of the original text. They tell us the reaction of the writer, and even begin to explain the writer’s thoughts. It’s simply a way of exploring what certain piece of writing means. This form of writing was introduced to simply get the reader to look at the material from a different perspective; to get the writer to thinking a little more in depth. When a writer reads text, they begin to make claims of their readings.
Martin Luther King exposes a dignified and immaculate way of sharing and transferring his views onto others. His analysis of history, his tactics of relating others that seemingly don’t think the same way, and referring back to what is defined or what is meant when an individual is categorized as an American. His text was written with an understandable sense of persuasion. By understandable, the text incorporated valid arguments that needed to be brought into the minds of the clergymen he was writing to. The mood that the reader feels is an empathetic, yet understanding of what he feels needs to be accomplished.
Let’s take our example from above again. “What are you doing?” Still a simple communication, but even if the sender delivers the message in proper tone and body language; if the receiver does not listen to the tone or body language the message could be interpreted as negative. Also is the listener does not respond to the sender or responds in a negative tone or body language, the communication can easily be turned from a casual conversation to and argument. The sender and receiver of a communication have an important job to do; that is to be active participants in the communication by listening and responding to each
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is written with the one perspective of one man, Changez. Changez, a Pakistani man, attempts to chase his “own personal American dream.” Over food and exotic drinks in a café in Lahore, Changez illustrates in a one-sided conservation, to an American traveller his encounters, all of which he experienced while “spending four and a half years” in America. The author portrays the fact that in America, one of the sole purposes of their existence is money, The novel demonstrates how the attacks on the World Trade Centre, and the subsequent repercussions that followed, altered his view of the elusive “American Dream.” Leading to his reluctance to follow the advice of his colleague “to focus on the fundamentals” is replaced by a desire to concentrate on fundamentals of a different type. The use of many stereotypical judgements placed on certain characters in the book is present through the wording, used to depict not only their appearance but also how they are accepted in society. September 11th acts as a means to fuel the labelling placed on those who were not “American citizens.” In joining the line for “foreigners” at immigration, no longer does Changez feel like a “New Yorker.” From the very beginning of the novel, there is immediately the implied sense that there has perhaps been a previous encounter between Changez and the American, not directly however possibly in the sense of their countries.
Through the use of a dramatic monologue Changez is able to explore how he sees himself as he attempts to clarify his experiences in America. His constant use of metaphoric language further enhances the story as Hamid also questions the identity of America and Pakistan as nations. Hamid depicts Changez’s identity as being this on going battle, continuously crossing sides. As the novel is a dramatic monologue, Changez provides the American with a detailed account of his shifting identity. This is used to imply his awareness of the constant shift, however just how unpredictable and inconsistent it really was.
A common problem is not answering the question – you need to spend some time understanding each word in the question and make sure what you write is answering the question and just something you would like to say. Focus of Assignment and Structure Introductions These require a lot of care – the function of an introduction is to tell the reader what you are going to do – a very short summary of your answer, points you consider important, maybe some definitions – but it must give the reader some idea of where you are going. It provides criteria that the reader uses to judge whether you have achieved your goal – that is answer the question. Some writers launch straight into answering the question – leaving readers wondering where this roller coaster was going. To fix this 1. read other peoples introductions (and Abstracts), 2. identify what the argument is going to follow then read and see if you are correct.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist ‘Does Changez find or lose his identity throughout his journey? Discuss.’ In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which is written by Mohsin Hamid, the protagonist, who is a Pakistani, Changez struggles over whether he belongs in the modern Western world, which hold “one of the most advanced civilisations”, or his motherland of Pakistan which has the “appearance of former greatness” and is “rich with history”. As a person who likes discoveries, Changez moves across different countries and is exposed to a variety of different lifestyles and cultures. Although Changez has somewhat lost his old identity while living in New York, studying at Princeton and working for Underwood Samson, he ultimately remembers and resorts to his old identity when he is placed in a pressured situation, and is forced to examine his beliefs and attributes. During the beginning of the novel when Changez begins to talk to the ‘unknown’ American, he initially claims to be a “lover of America”.
By using different literary methods authors are able to give their readers a better understanding of the message behind the piece of work. Using methods such as themes and symbolism allows readers to find the underlying meaning of the story rather than just simply reading something with no meaning or emotion behind it. While reading Robert Frost’s Poem The Road Not Taken and Eudora Welty’s short story A Worn Path, people get a sense that life is a lonely place full of sacrifice at times. Although these two pieces are different, their use of symbolism gives readers a better understanding of the characters in each work and figure out their real struggles with the choices they make. Literature is meant to take its readers to another place and allow them to become part of it, whether it be a story or a poem or play.