Hi readers,

过年好! Happy Chinese New Year! This is my first Chinese New Year in Canada. Although I can’t have reunion dinner with my families tonight, I still feel thankful that I can meet awesome people here and listen to the lectures given by great professors. Best wish for everyone in year of the rooster.

Recently in ASTU class, we read The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Pakistan writer Mohsin Hamid. In the book, narrator Changez is telling his experience in US to an American “CIA agency” with a bitter and aggressive tone. Both of them are from Pakistan and graduated from Princeton. Changez feels accepted by United States until 9/11 happened. He was suspected by American because of his Pakistan identity. Meanwhile, serving a country that was invading his home country makes him feel guilty. Finally, he went back to Pakistan and become an anti-America professor. In the last part of the book, “you” is threatened by Changez, and it seems that Changez is going to murder “you”. Different from some books I read before, it gives me a sense of “immersion” by applying first person narrative. Especially in the last plot, I already substitute myself into “you” and feel that my life and the security of America is threatened.

Because of that, The Reluctant Fundamentalist is also considered a political thriller by some readers. For me, I think this book is thrilling from two aspects. Firstly, this book is like a warn to not only Americans but also all the people who treat people based on stereotype of their race and nationality. It’s telling readers that terrorists can emerge from hatred and stigma given from “you”. Another thing that make TRF thrilling is its connection to real world. The story that Hamid tries to tell us is happening right now somewhere in the world. Today, there are still “Changez” suffering from being judged by their race and nationality.

Hamid has said that if you are reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist as a thriller — “that’s because you’re already afraid.” We’re afraid because we are making the same mistakes as “you”.

Thanks for reading!