TRF flashcards
Changezre: The American’s apprehension @ his appearance
‘I am a lover of America’ (p1)
•in order to be Am, ppl must adhere to a strict set of ideals to avoid alienation
•Ch.’s skin colour, beard + traditional Pakistani dress make the American suspicious b/c he looks like a terrorist
Changez re: feeling like a foreigner among foreigners
‘I felt in that moment much closer to the Filipino driver than to him: I felt like I was play acting’ (p77)
•whilst characters like Ch. temporarily fit in at a superficial level, they often remain conflicted
•Ch. always feels ‘foreign’ or like he doesn’t belong, even when others see him as American.
Changez consummating his relationship with Erica
‘Pretend I am him’ (p119)
•whilst characters like Ch. temporarily fit in at a superficial level, they often remain conflicted
•E = manifestation of Am. / post-9/11, E is v. nostalgic + constantly looking back on relationship w/ Chris / symbolises Am.’s obsessive return to Christian values
•to be with E, Ch. must become all-American Chris / mirrors his struggle with nationalism –he has to literally pretend to be someone else for America (Erica) to accept him
Changez reflecting on his identity and r’ship with Erica while in Valparaiso
‘I was not certain where I belonged –in New York, in Lahore, in both, in neither[…] probably this was why I had been willing to try to take on the persona of Chris, because my own identity was so fragile’ (p168)
•whilst characters like Ch. temporarily fit in at a superficial level, they often remain conflicted
•E = manifestation of Am. / post-9/11, E is v. nostalgic + constantly looking back on relationship w/ Chris / symbolises Am.’s obsessive return to Christian values
•to be with E, Ch. must become all-American Chris / mirrors his struggle with nationalism –he has to literally pretend to be someone else for America (Erica) to accept him
Changez re: Erica’s father’s stereotypical understanding of Pakistan
‘his tone with […] its typically American undercurrent of condescension’ (p63)
•suggests that those who seek to belong in America must adhere to a strict set of ideals
•Ch. can’t escape his race/religion →Americans still see him as lesser/an outsider who needs to be taught
•whilst it is possible for characters like Ch. to temporarily fit in at a superficial level, their sense of belonging is always at risk and they can quickly feel that they are not welcome
Changez is accosted by an American in the parking lot at work
‘He made a series of unintelligible noises –‘akhala-malakhala,’ perhaps, or ‘khlapal-khalapala’… ‘Fucking Arab.’’ (p133)
•some non-Muslim New Yorkers targeted Muslims based on their appearance + subsequent discrimination encouraged Muslims to feel compelled to blend into mainstream Am. culture so that they would not seem like outsiders
•Ch. can ultimately never be American because he doesn’t ‘look’ Am. →other people’s prejudice makes the decision for him
Changez re: America’s reaction to 9/11
‘I had always thought of America as a nation that looked forward; for the first time I was struck by its determination to look back.’ (p131)
•Am. responded to 9/11 w/ nostalgia, paranoia + arrogance / not in accordance with the reason which it claims to value
•seemingly overnight Am. turned on immigrant communities and abandoned its values of inclusivity and equality in favour of nationalism
•indicates the way nostalgia has been allowed to overwhelm ideal of reason
Changez re: last few days in NY
‘As a society, you […] retreated into myths of your own difference, assumptions of your own superiority.’ (p190)
•suggest that when attacked on 9/11 America responded with nostalgia, paranoia & arrogance / not in accordance with the reason which it claims to value
•myth contrasts reason –an ideal America claims
•superiority clouds reasonable judgement + promotes exclusion of immigrants and minorities
Changez re: American flags after 9/11
‘They all seemed to proclaim: We are America […] the mightiest civilization’ (p.90)
•Am. resorts to arrogance + self-assertion rather than applying reason in considering the best way to overcome the challenges it faces
•Imperialist ideals are incompatible with espoused values of democracy, freedom and acceptance
Changez after returning to the US from family visit in Pakistan / reflecting on escalating border conflict btwn Pakistan + India
‘I wondered how it was that America was able to wreak such havoc in the world […] with so few apparent consequences at home.’
•Ch. Increasingly disillusioned w/ Am. + aligning more + more with international resentment as Am. alienates him further
•Am. resorts to arrogance + self-assertion rather than applying reason
•Imperialist ideals are incompatible with espoused values of democracy, freedom + acceptance →cause great harm to nations where Am. intervenes
Changez re: fellow entrants at underwood Samson
“We were marvelously diverse…and yet we were not: All of us…hailed from the same elite universities-Harvard, Princeton, Stratford, Yale.
• Suggest that the Am ideal of equality of opportunity is rarely truly realised.
• Everyone comes from same elite background b/c these universities are attended by ppl who are rich and privileged.
• -> The Und Sam. entrants are not truly a diverse representation of Am/ instead they’re a selection of the elite+ privileged.
Sherman re: Underwood Samson
“We’re a meritocracy”, he said “We believe in being the best”.
• Power controls success.
• Elie access greater merit.
• Race plays vital effect as Ch. appearance limit’s access.
Changez re: Princeton graduates behavior on holiday in Greece.
“I will admit there were details which annoyed me, the ease with which they payed with money for example”.
“My companions…were in a position to conduct themselves in the world as though they were its ruling class”.
• Wealth+ privilege can result in feeling of superiority+ X recognise value.
• Meritocracy-> fast track for greed+ arrogance.
