On September 11, 2001, the US homeland suffered its worst attack since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. The World Trade Centre in New York, with the iconic Twin Towers at the centre of it, personified the economic might and invincible power of the United States of America, Yet, on that tragic day, when those symbols of the greatness of America were obliterated, innocence was lost, and fear of a new vulnerability took over.

Since September 11^th – we have all lived in the “post 9/11 era. It has been a 16 years that has, for many people, been characterized by pervasive suspicion, distrust, insecurity, and yes, fear.

In The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, Changez is sarcastic, hopeful, and confused, throughout the novel. He moves to New York after graduating from Princeton, and is hopeful about his job at Underwood Samson & Company, and about his new life in general. He also falls in love with Erica and appears to be happy with that relationship. On the first page of the book, Changez states that he is a lover of America. However, throughout the novel, Changez relationship with Erica as well as America begins to become more complicated especially after the traumatic events of 9/11. Quickly, his love for the country seems to diminish. When Changez returns from Manila to America after 9/11, he is no longer simply recognized as a resident of New York, but he is instead perceived as a foreigner, and a possible threat, considering that he is Pakistani. This instills a sense of anger, resentment and fear in Changez. He does not feel safe in what is supposed to be his own home anymore. On page 148, his confusion and fear is highlighted when he says, “I lacked a stable core, I was uncertain where I belonged…” The reader finds that Changez relationship with Erica symbolizes and is a microcosm for the state that America is in – it is broken. Erica is fearful, she is mourning her boyfriend who passed away, she is suffering from mental health issues, and she finally goes missing towards the end of the novel. This symbolizes the loss of hope that America experienced when 9/11 occurred, and the overwhelming amount of fear that developed. Finally, it highlights the reality that America is sick and needs to be saved.

Hamid stated that if the reader perceives The Reluctant Fundamentalist to be a thriller, then this means that they are already afraid. Hamid formatted this novel to allow the reader to make his or her own assumptions about what may happen next. Throughout the novel, Changez is recounting his story to a Stranger over dinner. It is up to the reader to decide if that Stranger is a CIA agent who is out to get Changez, or simply a normal businessman. Changez also notes that upon discovering that the events of 9/11 occurred, his immediate reaction was delight. This instills skepticism regarding who Changez really is, and what his motives are. His seemingly sarcastic comments do not put the reader at ease either. Whether or not Changez is dangerous, many readers may not trust him because he jokes and makes light of very serious and fear mongering topics. It is the reader’s choice to decide if Changez is merely joking about his happiness for 9/11, or if he is truly a terrorist himself. But ridden with fear of terrorists, the modern world is constantly on its toes, and so there is frankly no room for humor regarding violence or terrorist attacks.

Today, while our institutions are more intrusive than ever in a concerted and ceaseless effort to “keep us safe” and “fight the war on terrorism”, we seem to be living in a perpetual state of siege. Two wars – Iraq and Afghanistan – and a multitude of lethal local and regional conflicts, and the emergence of a ruthless terrorist group, ISIS, has put us all on edge. This, coupled with the anger at a vast and growing economic chasm between the super-rich, very rich, rich, and the rest of us, has created a toxic brew of anxiety and fear that knows no borders.

The recent election of Donald Trump, a billionaire who has never held public office, is just one manifestation of this angst and anxiousness. Trump is fueling the fear that is rocking many western countries. One particularly abhorrent example of Trump fueling fear is his campaign promising to ban all Muslims entering the country. Whether or not Donald Trump’s motives for saying this were to obtain more votes through fear mongering, or because he is truly serious about making this ban happen, it would frankly be impossible to filter out all Muslim people because it is a religion, and that requires self-reporting. The fact that people voted for Donald Trump despite his nonsensical plan to ban all Muslims, highlights the ignorance that stems from fear in American society in this post 9/11 era.  Although it may make things easier, this fear and anger is not only concentrated in America. We can see the terror all over the world, from the invasion of Iraq, to torture, mass electronic surveillance, much tighter borders being implemented, and more. Other countries notably experiencing these same convulsions include France, Germany, and The United Kingdom, an example being the outcome of the Brexit voting in 2016.

I agree with Hamid’s statement that if a reader of The Reluctant Fundamentalist is reading the book as a thriller, then they are already afraid. Likely, I think that most readers of this novel will read this as a thriller because at a large scale, most members of our society are fear stricken, confused, suspicious, and skeptical of everything. They don’t know who to trust and who to believe anymore. Hamid’s work proves an undeniable truth – that the post 9/11 era has made our world more vulnerable, more fearful and more broken economically, politically than ever, on a global scale.

Hello readers,

In Safe Area Goražde, Joe Sacco portrays the media and journalists in both a positive and a negative light. These journalists essentially symbolize the modern, privileged and the globalized world. Sacco highlights that the negative side of journalists is the fact that many of them are only in Goražde to cover a story and then leave, and the “Red Carpet” chapter perfectly summarizes this notion and accentuates this idea of simply getting in and getting out. The images on page 8 and 9 of Joe drinking excessively with civilians could be seen as an example of the superficial relationship that many of the journalists share with the civilians. In these panels, they are not discussing the hardships of the war, but they are merely consuming a plethora of alcohol and dancing the night away. This chapter can also be an example of the fact that if journalists do not wish to, they do not need to be apart of the war. They can visit a war torn country or city for a week or two, drink themselves to oblivion, and shortly return to their homes in the free country that they live in.
In addition, the chapter “Go Away” is an example of how many news stations and journalists want to leave Goražde as soon as possible once they obtain eye catching photographs and captivating interviews. An example of this hesitancy to accept the truth of the war is shown when Sacco notes, “‘I wish Goražde would go away,’ I heard one American correspondent say…” (Page 4) This idea of wishing the war away symbolizes the war of erasure, and the ideology that ethnic cleansing will solve all of Bosnia’s problems. This idea is that the act of forgetting history will essentially erase all pain and suffering.
To contrast this, most of the isolated townspeople do not want people from the outside world to “go away.” However, they want them to stay and keep them company, and save them from their traumatic and broken lives. Examples of this yearning for the globalized world can be identified when many girls in Goražde ask Joe to bring them back jeans, and even go as far as to ask him if they can run away with him to America. Riki is also a symbol for this, as he is constantly singing American songs, and discussing his utter love and longing for America. The concept of having contact with a symbol of mobility and globalization such as Joe Sacco instills hope and promise in the townspeople.
This lack of regard for human life from journalists in Goražde is analogous to the paparazzi taking photographs of celebrities in today’s world. Most of these photographers do not have any concern for how taking these photographs will impact the people that they are photographing, and they do not truly acknowledge these celebrities as people, but merely as a source of entertainment and income. The title “Angelina Jolie With No Makeup On,” can be sprawled across the cover of a magazine followed by a photo of her makeup free , because the media does not care or take into account how she might feel about this. The soul motivator of the media industry is making profits, whether that be photographing a war torn country, or publishing photos of celebrities who have “gained excess weight,” for example.
Although many of the reporters are portrayed as merely self-interested and only travelling in this war torn country for self-fulfilling reasons, Sacco himself also sets an example as to how seeing war in real life can make it more accessible, and real, and therefore allowing for people to feel true empathy. Joe becomes friends with many of the people that he was originally just intending on interviewing in Goražde. For example, Eden becomes Joe’s official tour guide of Goražde, and they also become life long friends. Although Joe was originally like most journalists, out of touch of the reality and humanness of the war, by learning the story of the war through individuals that he personally meets along the way, he grows attached to the people that make up Goražde, and to the concept of Goražde itself.
Towards the end of Safe Area Goražde, Joe hopes to himself that Riki will be able to flee Goražde, but he also hopes that one day when he returns to Goražde again, he finds Riki still there. This is an example of the unrealistic and often selfish and detached nature of the reporter and the privileged person coming through in Sacco. Joe has the luxury of returning home to America, but he almost doesn’t wish that luxury for his friends in Goražde, because he idealizes the idea of his friends remaining where he found them, in the place that he grew to love.
Safe Area Goražde highlights the positive attributes of learning a story through the person actually experiencing it, as opposed to formulating one’s opinions about the story by merely reading something that was published in a magazine by a reporter or a journalist.

Until next time,

Alexandra