The Reluctant Fundamentalist Flashcards
what effect does the unusual structure of the novel have
effect of nesciarily involving the reader and inviting them to examine existing prejudices and assumptions
How has Hamid described his own faith
described himself as a ‘secular, liberal, progressive man’ for whom Islam forms a significant but by no means sole component of his identity
acknowledges that its importance to him has increased and his sympathy for fellow muslims has grown since 9/11
what does the novel comment little on
Muslim beliefs or practices
nevertheless the pejorative sense of fundamentalism frames the actual meaning that functions in this novel
What does Morey argue about TRF
Argues that TRF challenges the orthodoixes of the post 9/11 novel, which generally do seek to promote sympathy for the losses and traumas experienced by their charecters
The security of what is overturned by the terrorist attacks of september 2001
American lifestyle
What difference does Changez observe between American and Pakistan
America is a meritocracy -structured around a free market economy and individual mindset
Pakistan culture encourages a ‘traditional sense of deference to ones parents’
Quote to show Hamid writes about what he knows
Changez story is not mine, but I certainly have inhabited the geography of his world
What does the use of an unreliable narrator highlight
Highlights the fact that particularly in media rep of highly politicised events, can never be sure who is telling the truth or if it is motivated by hidden agendas
‘there is no reason why this incident would be more likely to be false than any of the others I have related to you
in his narration what does Changez often employ to draw attention to the fact that he is not American
American cliches, colloquiums or common phrases in an awkward manner
How is Changez secular and socially liberal
he drinks alcohol, sleeps with women
What could Erica be seen as a metaphor for
metaphor for the nostalgic self-absorption of America
itself
What does Sarah Llott say of TRF
it is an example of a continuous dramatic monologue that encourages a more active way of reading and resists comfortable closure, thereby requiring work on the part of the readers to construct meaning.
As a maturing writer what has Hamid come to wonder about the novel
wonder ‘if the power of the novel is rooted in the enormous degree of co-creation it requires on the part o f the audience.
Hamid performs a sly and skilful act of what
writing back to contemporary anglo- american fictions of islamic identification issues and interconnections
What Biblical connotations does Underwood Samson have
Samson is an old testament biblical figure with a complex background.
