The document provides an overview of the novel "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" by Mohsin Hamid. It discusses the themes of the novel like identity, racism, fundamentalism, passion, and globalization. It also summarizes the postmodern writing techniques used in the novel, including dramatic monologue, irony, appropriate language use, and shifting points of view. The settings of the novel in New York City and Lahore are also described.

1. THE RELUCTANT
FUNDAMENTALIST
BY MOHSIN HAMID

2. THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
presented by
Anzala Noor (19011502-011)
Mubeen Akhtar (19011502-004)
Dur e Batool (19011502-007)
Sheraz Ali (19011502-014)

3. POSTMODERNISM AND
CHARACTERS OF THE NOVEL
presented by
Sheraz Ali (19011502-014)

4. Post Modernism
 The movement of postmodernism emerged in 1960s.
 It became prominent in the late 1970s and 80s, and it was still dominant in 1990s.
 It is also seen as American movement ,it was started in USA around about 1960-
19070s.
 It spreaded in Europe and the rest of the world.

5. Postmodernism
 This movement was a rejection against the simplicity and functional design
approach of modern architecture.
 This movement rejected strict rules set by the early modernists and seeks high spirts
in the use of building techniques and angles.

6. Characters of the novel
 Changez
 The stranger
 Erica
 Jim
 Wainwright
 Juan-Bautista

7. THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
Themes
presented by
Mubeen Akhtar (19011502-004)

8.  The reluctant fundamentalist is a novel written by the Pakistani writer
Mohsin Hamid in 2007.
 the story is about a young Pakistani named Changez ,his life, his
changings and reflections before and after the attack to the Twin
Towers.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist

9.  The novel gives space to several interpretations and many important
themes.
 Identity
 Changez has tied his identity to a number of things
 His family’s history
 His status in America
 His relationship with Erica
 Arguably these things define him.
Themes of this novel

10.  Racism
 Throughout the Reluctant Fundamentalist, the author shows hoe
people judge one another based on their clothing ,their skin colour
and their mannerisms.
 Fundamentalism
 It is associated with religion-in the Reluctant Fundamentalist it refers
more to economic and cultural aspects of society.
Themes

11.  Passion
 Changez is very passionate about living his life like an American
.How he arrives in Us with great professional ambitions shows his
passion .
 Nostalgia
 A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past.
Themes

12.  Globalization
 Globalization is seemed to be a great idea which should have helped
the world to be smaller and sensible with all the states.unfortunatly
the idea of tolerance, freedom and independence have been
destroyed by the ideals of capitalism brought by great companies and
societies

13. THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
writing techniques
Presented by
Anzala Noor (19011502-011)

14. Dramatical monologue
 An innovative technique employed in TRF is dramatic monologue. This technique has used
in a long narrative for the first time in the history of English literature.
 Dramatic monologue is a type of writing in the form of a speech of an individual character.
 The major character, a Pakistani, Changez raises question and gives answers from the side
of an American Persona, who is silent.
 The writer is able to express the stance of the powerless who are always voiceless.
 Through this technique, Hamid explains a quietly told, cleverly constructed fable of
infatuation and disenchantment with America, set on the deceitful fault lines of east/west
relations, and finely tuned to the ironies of prejudice and misrepresentation.
 Therefore, the writer gives an insight into the post 9/11 scenario and what the Muslims had
to face in the United States. It is a deeply provocative, excellent addition to the post 9/11
novels.

15. Irony and Instances
Irony
 The novel is rich in irony and intelligence. It is beautifully written and superbly constructed.
 It seems that Mohsin Hamid would have made us understand the novel’s title ironically. It has
a double meaning likewise the title has one person with two different personas.
 Instances
 Throughout the novel we come across instances where the writer tries to establish how the
Americans perceive the Muslim world no matter how and what their contributions and
emotions have been towards The United States.

16. Language appropriateness and Point of view
 As a postcolonial writer Hamid has used the technique of language appropriateness.
Language appropriateness is technique used by the postmodern writer. It is the extent to which an
utterance is perceived or made as suitable for a particular purpose and a particular audience in a
particular social context.
 Through this technique, Hamid challenges the hegemony of the English language that it cannot
express all the aspects of any non-English culture.
 He used Urdu words in the novel like Janisari, Jalebi, Kurta etc.

17. Point of view
 There are two points of view used throughout the novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
The two viewpoints are skilfully toggled back and forth to present different perspectives
and even moods while reading. The majority of the narration is from the first-person
point of view (I) while there are small sections interspersed throughout that are written
in the third person point of view.(he)
 The author has use a first-person point of view as he tells the story of his life in
America. This is all presented in the past tense. Having Changez personally tell his
story makes it fully reliable. Not only are the actions and words to be believed, but
Changez is able to share his emotions and thoughts. This is very important because
the story needs to be reliable in order to understand the changes which take place in
Changez's thinking.

18. Universal Setting
 Though the conversation goes on in Anarkali , Lahore, but the setting of the action
involves different countries of the world like America, Vanilla, Nepal, Afghanistan and
India. It is because the theme of the novel is universal, the relationship between the
powerful and the powerless, the colonizer and the colonized.

19. RECTANGULAR FUNDAMENTALIST
Language and settings
Presented by
Dur e Batool (19011502-007)

20.  The novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist essentially a first-person narration unfolds the
protagonist's four and half years stay in America. Language is neither very complex nor
very simple. But the readers understand all the aspects of the novel. As the Changez’s
story begins with his trip to America, where his outstanding record at Princeton
University leads to his job with the Underwood Samson company, which evaluates
businesses. So, the language is understandable by the readers and the listeners.
Language

21. The setting of The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a very important aspect to the plot and also
to the discovery of Changez as a character. The setting takes place in New York and Lahore.
Both places hold a special place in Changez’s heart. The hustle and bustle of New York
inspires Changez to do his best, but also let go every once in a while and have fun. Changez
first goes to New York in order to fulfill his dreams of going to Princeton. But he stays in
New York, after Princeton, because he feels his hopes for wealth and love can be met.
Lahore is the other setting of the book; Changez’s hometown.
Setting

22.  Lahore, even though very similar to New York, has a totally different effect on Changez.
While Changez is in New York, Lahore reminds him of his childhood and of his family. As
we see from Changez’s meeting with the mysterious American, Changez is at peace in
Lahore and his love for his country is very evident when he describes the beautiful
characteristics of Lahore. Even though both settings seem important to Changez, from
what I have interpreted, Lahore brings out his true character.

23. Changez doesn’t seem to evoke the true New Yorker. New York is the city that never sleeps
and until Erica and Underwood Samson Changez doesn’t really experience all that New
York has to offer. But in Lahore, Changez is at ease and seems to be in his element. Even
though I think Lahore is where Changez belongs, the fact that Changez is able to love and
experience two different cultures is really fascinating and makes me like Changez even
more as a character.

24.  Mohsin Hamid writes in an interview with The Guardian about his writing process. "If the
novel was special because it allowed writers and readers to create jointly, to dance
together, then it seemed to me that I should try to write novels that maximized this
possibility of opening themselves up to being read in different ways, to involving the
reader as a kind of character, indeed as a kind of co-writer."

25. Thank You