Monthly Archives: March 2016

Hey Readers!

So, this is it. This is my final blog post as an ASTU 100A student. I can hardly believe it. Without further adieu, here are my final thoughts as we near the end of the term.

Our final academic article that we have been analyzing is Peter Morey’s “’The rules of the game have changed’: Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist and post-9/11 fiction”. This article was a bit more challenging to read, as it covered so much in such a short amount of writing. He began his piece by focusing on the forms of The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Specifically, it being in the form of a dramatic monologue. He also emphasized Hamid’s writing style as destabilizing the readers’ identification, as well as the role of the novel in the realm of world literature.

Despite undertaking such a wide array of topics in regard to Mohsin Hamid’s novel, the article was—overall—synthesized very well. I would offer a few critiques though: Firstly, I would say that he does not thoroughly define what he means by deterritorialization, despite it being the main focus of his article. Morey does not explicitly state what he himself interprets this to mean, and its significance in regards to Hamid’s novel. It is left up to the readers to determine what the meaning and significance of this “deterriorialization” is.

Also, I would’ve found it helpful for Morey to refer back to his thesis more often throughout his paper, in order to link his analysis back to his larger idea. I often found myself thinking when I was knee-deep in analysis, “what does this have to do with his argument?” A prime example of this is how Morey briefly mentions the “naïve exoticism” of the publication process (142). I brought this up in lecture because I was genuinely curious as to what my classmates thought of this example. Was I the only one who found it strange? Aided by the fact that he does not thoroughly and explicitly state to the reader why he sees as significant, I found this paragraph hindered his argument more than it helped it.

Despite these flaws, I still found his larger ideas very compelling. World literature is growing in importance, and it is important for readers to not be passive when logging information from novels of this genre. Binaries are no longer reliable, especially in regards to cultural terms and identity. World literature, ultimately, works to expose and contest structures of power as a geopolitical tool. This is evident today, as the “the effects of 9/11 are still very much being played out” (145). World literature attempts to moderate these structures of power, and ensure readers remain critical of what they are reading.

So that’s it. I hope everyone has a happy Easter, and a great remainder of the year!

Thanks, Readers!

-Kendall Manifould

Morey, Peter. “The Rules of the Game have Changed:” Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Post-9/11 Fiction.” Journal of Postcolonial Writing 47. 2 (2011): 135-146. Web. Taylor & Francis. 18 Dec. 2015.

Hey Readers,

This weekend I began reading Mohsin Hamid’s novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, for my ASTU class. Now, I’m only about halfway through the novel or so, but I thought I’d jot down my initial thoughts at this point in time.

The narrator, Changez, is telling his story to a nameless American, who we haven’t heard speak yet—any indication of the American’s character depth is narrated by Changez. Therefore, we are subject to Changez’s interpretations and conclusions he makes about the American. It is important for readers to understand that he could be wrong. However, the same could be said if the roles were reversed. This scenario is more prevalent in the novel. Hamid begins his novel with the narrator saying, “Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America” (Hamid 1). Changez, on multiple occasions, goes out of his way to correct the mistaken stereotypes the American has about Changez as a Pakistani.

As a stylistic choice, it is quite interesting that the author chose to format the novel in this way. Yet, choosing to format the novel in this way is actually beneficial for Hamid’s purposes, in order to portray the erroneous assumptions we make. As Sam, one of my classmates, said today in lecture, the “We” in novels is typically one of a Western construct. In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Hamid purposefully plays on this, warping the way readers think and understand Pakistanis. It forces readers to confront this reality: our (Western) cultural perceptions and viewpoints are not necessarily infallible, or always correct in another cultural context.

Another observation I made when reading this novel is whenever Changez is giving an explanation to the American in present day, he always connects it to an American cultural reference. This way, the American will better be able to understand the situation because it is laid out to him in a context he is able to comprehend. One instance of this is when discussing the matter of whether or not Changez drinks alcohol. He does; and upon the American’s confusion, he explains, “In truth, many Pakistanis drink; alcohol’s illegality in our country has roughly the same effect as marijuana’s in yours” (53). This systematically proves two functions for Changez: the first is to make the American understand Pakistani tradition by situating him in an American context. The second is to illustrate Changez’s notable understanding of American politics and tradition. He lived there for four and a half years after all; Changez learned a great many things while he was there. This may lead the American to view Changez as less of a Pakistani and more of an American with every cultural reference uttered.

These are just a few of my many swarming thoughts about this novel. I still have many questions: Why is Changez telling this story to the American? What led Changez to move back to Pakistan? Does he consider himself more of an American or more of a Pakistani while residing in New York? What factors spurred his “pleased” reaction to the terrorist acts of September 11^th, 2001? (Hamid 73).

If I want to find the answers to my questions, I better keep reading!

Until next time, Readers!

-Kendall Manifould