In Class tonight, each family will be responsible for identifying 2 - 3 quotations from the novel that evince the overall thesis necessary to answer each question.
1. What happens at the end of the novel? Who is the American? Does he kill Changez? Does Changez kill him? Why does Hamid write the novel this way? How does the ending fit the overall theme and purpose of the novel? Consider this: Hamid once commented on NPR that the novel's structure serves to highlight the "conversation between the US and the Muslim world."
2. "The Reluctant Fundementalist" is a strange title, considering that Changez is not all that religous. Hamid once commented that the title is meant to have a dual meaning: Changez as a religous fundamentalist (terrorist?), but "MORE IMPORTANTLY" the fundamentals taught to him by Jim and Underwood Samson. Describe what the title means to you. Reference to novel to support your answer, and be sure to discuss the "double-meaning."
3. Nostalgia. Home. Memory. These emotions play a strong role in the novel. Erica exists as a symbol of the power of yearing for something in the past. Write a paper describing Erica as a symbol for nostalgia. How does her longing for Chris symbolize the change in Changez? Further, how does Erica and Changez's relationship foreshadow the decisions Changez will ultimately make?
4. Write a paper justifying Erica as a symbol for America. How does Erica's rise and fall parallel the rise and fall of America in Changez's heart and life? Describe his relationship with Erica as an allegory for his relationship with the United States.
5. Write a review of Hamid's articles (the one we all read and the one(s) you chose. Follow the criticism writing format discussed. What was Hamid's main point? How does he illustrate (support) his point? What insights into RF or Pakistani/American relations does the article provide?
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