Q. Write a summary of the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.
“The Reluctant Fundamentalist” is a novel by Mohsin Hamid, published in 2007. It consists of 12 chapters, all structured around a single extended monologue by the main character, Changez.
He talks to an American in a café in Lahore, Pakistan. Through his speech, we learn about his past as a successful financial analyst in New York and his decision to return to Pakistan.
The book examines issues of identity and cultural conflict in light of the world’s changes following the September 11, 2001, attacks. Changez’s story reveals his internal struggles and how his perceptions of belonging shift over time.
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” begins with Changez, a Pakistani man with a beard, approaching an American stranger in Old Anarkali, Lahore, offering assistance.
Changez immediately identifies the man as American by his “bearing” and suggests a tea establishment, noting the area’s history.
Changez reveals he spent four and a half years in America, attending Princeton University and working in New York. He initially felt that Princeton was a “dream come true,” where “everything was possible.”
However, he observed that non-American students, like himself, often performed better, as the selection process was more challenging for them. Changez received full financial aid at Princeton, as his family, despite their social status, could no longer afford tuition due to economic changes in Pakistan.
In his senior year, Changez aspired to work for Underwood Samson & Company, a small but highly respected valuation firm that offered a path to Harvard Business School. During his interview with Jim, a managing director, Changez presented his academic achievements and tenacity with confidence.
Jim, however, directly questioned Changez about his financial aid status, which made Changez uncomfortable, but he answered honestly. He (Jim) revealed he also came from a humble background and appreciated Changez’s “hungry” and ambitious nature.
Jim then challenged Changez with a fictitious business case involving “instantaneous travel”. Changez, despite internal panic, entered a focused mental state to resolve the issue. Although his valuation was deemed “wildly overoptimistic,” Jim offered him the job, recognizing his correct “approach” and potential.
Changez accepted, feeling a powerful sense of pride and exhilaration at the possibilities his new life in America presented, while still cherishing the simple pleasure of Lahore’s tea. This initial encounter establishes the novel’s themes of ambition, identity, and cultural clash.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 opens with Changez meeting Erica during a summer holiday in Greece. She is part of a wealthy group from Princeton’s most prestigious eating club, Ivy.
Changez, however, is there thanks to his sign-on bonus from Underwood Samson. Erica’s beauty immediately strikes him, and he offers to carry her backpack. Other men, including Chuck and Mike, also show interest in Erica.
Erica expresses a desire for solitude to write, but admits she is “not good at being alone”. Changez contrasts this with his own large family background, where solitude was a luxury.
He feels she “give[s] off this strong sense of home”. Changez finds himself annoyed by the “ease with which they parted with money” and their “self-righteousness”.
Despite this, Erica becomes his primary focus, described as having an “uncommon magnetism,” like a “lioness” but also “out of reach”.
On the island of Rhodes, Erica sunbathes topless, and Changez stares, leading to an awkward exchange where he repeatedly says “Hello”. Later, during a swim, Erica tells Changez she appreciates his “respectful polite” nature.
Over drinks, Erica reveals that her gentleman’s shirt belonged to her deceased boyfriend, Chris, who died from lung cancer last year. Changez describes Pakistan, and Erica asks him to write her name and his in Urdu in her notebook.
She then shares the detailed story of her and Chris’s unique bond, stating, “My home was a guy with long, skinny fingers”.
At dinner, Changez jokes about wanting to be a “dictator of an Islamic republic with nuclear capability,” which Erica alone understands and smiles at.
Erica shares her dream of being a novelist and winning an award at Princeton. Although nothing physical happens between them in Greece, Erica gives Changez her number and offers to help him settle in New York. Changez is “smitten” and excited about his new life.
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 of “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” continues Changez’s narration in Lahore, focusing on his initial experiences and observations in New York City. He notes that the local Lahore market transforms into a pedestrian-only area in the evening, comparing it to Manhattan.
Changez felt surprisingly at home in New York because taxi drivers spoke Urdu, and there was a Pakistani deli near his apartment. He also appreciated the city’s democratic urban layout, similar to older districts of Lahore, where pedestrians dominate.
Changez recalls his excitement about working for Underwood Samson. Their offices, located on high floors, filled him with pride, making him feel part of a technologically advanced civilization.
He initially set aside his resentment about the disparity between Pakistan and the United States. Sherman, a vice president, outlined the firm’s meritocratic ethos, emphasizing performance rankings and the possibility of being “out the door” if one didn’t perform well.
Changez and his colleague Wainwright, both top candidates, engaged in lighthearted banter, but the training was intense, covering business school modules, computer programs, and “soft skills”.
Changez felt empowered by his new possibilities, particularly the expense account which allowed him to spend more than his father earned in a day.
He observed the diversity of his colleagues, noting that they all came from elite universities and exuded “confident self-satisfactio</p>
n”. He bonded with Wainwright, a “kindred spirit,” over food at a Pakistan
i deli.
He details his impressive performance at Underwood Samson, noting his “controlled aggression” and tenacity, which instructors prais
ed.
His foreignness, particularly his “Anglicized accent” and ability to navigate hierarchies, also gave him an advantage.
He and Wainwright were recognized as top performers, as evidenced by their selection to ride with Jim, the managing director, to the company’s summer party in the Hamptons.
Jim noted that Changez’s “watchful” nature came from “feeling out of place,” something Jim understood from his own humble beginnings.
At the party, Changez wished Erica were there. He later learned he was ranked number one in his class and offered a new project valuing a cable operator in New Jersey.
He was “enormously pleased” and felt like “a young New Yorker with the city at his feet”. This chapter sets the stage for Changez’s initial success and integration into American corporate life, before the events that will later change his perspective.
Chapter 4
Chapter 4 opens with Changez commenting on a scar on his forearm, explaining it was from a childhood accident with molten candle wax during a power outage in Pakistan. He then describes his return to New York City after his trip to Greece with Erica.
Changez visits Erica’s impressive penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side for dinner. Erica shows Changez her bedroom, which, despite its size, feels “lived-in” and comfortable.
He feels “at home” there, possibly because he misses his own family home. Erica confides in him about her finished manuscript, a novella she is sending to an agent.
Changez notices a “tiny crack” behind her eyes, indicating something “broken”. Erica also shows him a sketch made by her deceased boyfriend, Chris, when they were children.
Changez meets Erica’s parents on their roof terrace. Her father makes condescending remarks about Pakistan, touching on corruption and fundamentalism, which Changez finds annoying despite his polite response.
Erica notices his discomfort and tells him he’s a “terrible liar” and “touchy about where you come from”.
They then attend an art gallery party in Chelsea, the “chic heart of this city.” Erica continues to attract people, but Changez notices she often seems “detached” and “introspective” in company.
Changez feels their relationship deepening, even though they only exchange pleasantries at these events. Later, Erica invites Changez for a picnic in Central Park, where they are finally alone.
She reveals more about Chris’s death and how she “stopped a bunch of things” afterwards, including eating and talking to people, even requiring hospitalization and medication.
Changez again glimpses the “crack inside her” and feels a “familial tenderness” and a sense of protectiveness. He observes her body’s strength but also its woundedness, a sensation that lingers with him.
Chapter 5
Changez begins by describing bats appearing in the Lahore sky, noting they are successful urban dwellers who navigate the city skillfully, unlike other creatures like butterflies that splatter on windshields.
He contrasts this with “flying foxes” that are now extinct in Lahore, possibly due to crashing into new high-rise buildin
gs.
He then recalls his excitement upon arriving in Manila for his first assignment with Underwood Sams
on. He flew first class and felt like “a veritable James Bond.”
Manila surprises him; instead of a city like Lahore, he finds skyscrapers and superhighways, along with slums.
Changez is troubled that Manila is also wealthier than Lahore, making him feel like a “laggard”. Because of this, he tries to act more American, learning to be demanding and saying he is from New York when asked about his origin, despite feeling ashamed.
His team is in Manila to value a recorded-music business. He feels enormously powerful knowing his team is shaping the future of workers and products.
However, he experiences disorientation, particularly during a limousine ride when a jeepney driver gives him an undisguised look of hostility. This encounter makes Changez feel closer to the Filipino driver than to his American colleagues, realizing he is “play-acting”.
During this time in Manila, his main links to home are weekly phone calls and online correspondence with Erica. Erica’s brief but evocative emails lift his spirits. Changez is eager to see Erica again.
Jim, his managing director, tells Changez he is a “shark” and understands Changez’s feeling of not belonging because Jim also came from a humble background. Changez relates this to his own family’s decline in wealth despite retaining status.
On the evening he is supposed to leave Manila, Changez sees the Twin Towers collapse on television. His initial reaction is to be “remarkably pleased,” which he acknowledges sounds “despicable” but attributes to the symbolism of America being brought to its knees.
He hides these feelings from his colleagues, feigning shock. When flights are canceled, he is strip-searched at the airport and feels under suspicion upon flying back to New York.
He is separated from his team at immigration and travels to Manhattan alone. Changez perceives that the American stranger he is speaking with in Lahore seems to know something about him.
Chapter 6
Changez and the American stranger are still in Lahore, and Changez notices the aroma of jasmine. He remembers buying jasmine for his grandmother’s funeral as a teenager, driving his family’s old car.
He then shifts back to his time in New York after the 9/11 attacks. Changez describes New York being “in mourning” with American flags everywhere, making him feel a “constant murmur of reproach” for his own initial reaction to the towers’ collapse. He also senses America’s powerful, even wrathful, response.
Against this backdrop, Changez sees Erica again after six weeks. The air still carries a “peculiar odor” from the downtown wreckage. Erica appears older and more elegant, an “empress-in-waiting”.
She tells Changez that the attacks have “churned up old thoughts” and she’s been constantly thinking about her deceased boyfriend, Chris. She admits she feels “haunted”.
Changez shares a story about his aunt, who went “mad as a March hare” after her husband died, suggesting a parallel to Erica’s lingering grief. Erica responds by saying she missed him.
Changez feels conflicted, as he desires a deeper relationship but senses Chris’s continuing presence as a rival. Erica’s anxieties seem only indirectly related to terrorism, stemming instead from her internal struggles resurfacing.
They end up at Changez’s small apartment in New York. Erica finds his flat “perfect”. She falls asleep in his bed, and Changez covers her with a sheet, choosing to sleep on the floor himself. She leaves the next morning after kissing him on the forehead.
Chapter 7
In Chapter 7, Changez describes his growing unease in America following the 9/11 attacks, noting that New York was “in mourning” with flags everywhere, making him feel a “constant murmur of reproach” for his own initial reaction to the towers’ collapse. He also senses America’s powerful and wrathful response.
He reconnects with Erica after six weeks, observing a “peculiar odor” from the downtown wreckage still lingering in the air. Erica appears older and more elegant, an “empress-in-waiting”.
She tells Changez that the attacks have “churned up old thoughts” and she’s been constantly thinking about her deceased boyfriend, Chris, admitting she feels “haunted” and has been thrown back a year in her grief, experiencing insomnia and needing medication.
Changez, recognizing her vulnerability, shares a story about his aunt who went “mad as a March hare” after her husband died, and Erica responds by saying she missed him.
During this time, Changez is working on a new assignment for Underwood Samson, valuing an “ailing cable operator” in New Jersey. He and his team face a frosty reception from the employees, who resent their presence and the impending “headcount reduction”.
Changez experiences deliberate acts of sabotage, like punctured tires on his rental car. His managing director, Jim, tells Changez he is a “shark” and understands Changez’s feeling of not belonging because Jim also came from a humble background.
Jim advises him that “Power comes from becoming change” and to “focus on the fundamentals”.
Changez initially remains in “denial” regarding the anti-Muslim sentiment and believes his status as a Princeton graduate earning a high salary will protect him from the discrimination affecting other Pakistanis.
However, his equanimity is upset by the bombing of Afghanistan by American forces. He describes his fury at the sight of what he takes to be the beginning of the “invasion” of Pakistan’s neighbor and fellow Muslim nation, causing him to tremble and needing whiskey to calm down.
This leads to him being late for work for the first time. Despite his internal turmoil, Changez eventually meets with Erica.
He finds her diminished, pale, and nervous, stating she has been “going through a bad patch”. She describes her mind “going in circles,” an inability to sleep or eat, and frequent crying.
She admits she thinks of Chris “a lot” and “some pretty dark thoughts”. Erica also says, “it isn’t good for you to see me so much right now,” making Changez concerned.
Back at Changez’s apartment, Erica asks him to put his arms around her. When Changez tries to kiss her and senses her lack of response, he asks if she is missing Chris.
When she nods, he says, “Then pretend… pretend I am him”. They proceed to have sex with a “physical intimacy that Erica and I had never enjoyed,” with Changez feeling “as though we were under a spell, transported to a world where I was Chris and she was with Chris”.
Her body accepts him, but he notes her “near-inanimate smoothness and coolness” and that the “entrance between her legs… was at the same time oddly rigid,” reminding him of a “wound”. Erica shudders at the end.
Afterward, Erica calls him a “kind person”. Changez feels both “satiated and ashamed,” bewildered by the shame and wondering if he had diminished himself or harmed Erica. Erica falls asleep without medication, but Changez remains awake, reflecting on their encounter.
Changez reflects on the ongoing strength of Erica’s attachment to Chris, viewing Chris as a rival, “albeit a dead one,” with whom he feared he could never compete.
He observes that Erica’s anxieties seemed only indirectly related to terrorism, stemming instead from her internal struggles resurfaci
ng.
He also becomes Erica’s “official escort at the events of New York society,” feeling pleased to be part of the wealthy social class he believed his family was falling out of in Laho
re.
He feels a strong desire and protectiveness towards Erica, sensing her detachment and internal struggle, wanting to serve as her “ancho
r”.
Chapter 8
In Chapter 8, Changez continues his story to the American stranger, beginning with observations about the market’s waiter and the meal.
Changez then recounts the difficult period after his first intimate encounter with Erica. She leaves early and becomes unreachable for a period. After a fortnight, she finally agrees to meet at her apartment.
Upon his arrival, Erica’s mother intercepts Changez and gravely informs him that Erica’s mental “condition has come back” and is serious. She states that Erica needs “stability” and a “friend,” not a “boyfriend”.
This conversation greatly alarms Changez. He finds Erica pale and disheveled but seemingly in good spirits. She struggles to concentrate due to medication and cannot work on her novel, becoming upset when she tries.
Erica expresses that her writing “pulls me in” and she questions if anything of her former self is “left”. Changez observes her withdrawing into her thoughts, unable to reach her. He realizes he is an “intrusion on a conversation Erica was having with Chris”.
Changez concludes that Erica is “disappearing into a powerful nostalgia” for her adolescence with Chris, seeing his dead rival’s love as a “religion that would not accept me as a convert”.
He feels unable to offer her anything comparable. Changez himself also perceives America engaging in a “dangerous nostalgia” after 9/11.
He sees America looking back to a “fictitious” past of “unquestioned dominance”. He wonders if there is a place for someone like him in this America.
At his job, Underwood Samson remains a “bulwark” against this general sentiment of nostalgia, focusing solely on future productivity. Changez excels in his work, analyzing data with intense precision.
However, he experiences a jarring incident where he is called “Fucking Arab” in a parking lot, highlighting the growing ethnic tensions and the importance of “tribé”. He feels an intense, unprecedented anger.
Jim, his mentor, notices Changez’s preoccupation, linking it to his “Pakistani side” and global events. Despite a downturn in business and rumors of layoffs, Changez is once again ranked number one and receives a bonus. This should have made him “ecstatic”.
However, an attack on the Indian Parliament leads to the possibility of war between India and Pakistan, preventing Changez from celebrating. He decides to return to Lahore despite his family’s warnings, traveling with a man who calmly discusses “nuclear annihilation”.
Chapter 9
Chapter 9 describes Changez’s return to Lahore, Pakistan. He first sees his family home as old and shabby. He notices cracks in the ceilings and flaking paint. This makes him feel ashamed of where he comes from.
But then, Changez realizes his view is biased. He understands he is seeing his home through the eyes of an “entitled and unsympathetic American”. This realization makes him angry at himself.
He decides to get rid of this “unwelcome sensibility”. After this, he sees his house properly again. He appreciates its beauty, personality, and history. He realizes it is not poor but rich with history. This thought bothers him, making him feel easily influenced.
The threat of war with India is very real in Lahore. His brother picks him up from the airport. His brother tells him there are artillery batteries and soldiers near their friend’s country house.
Changez’s parents seem okay, but they are frailer. They do not want to talk about the war; instead, they focus on feeding him and hearing about his life in New York.
At a family dinner, the main topic is the conflict with India. People believe India wants to harm Pakistan. They also think America will not help Pakistan, even though Pakistan helped America in Afghanistan.
The Indian army is moving, and Pakistan is responding. Military helicopters fly low over the city. There are rumors about fighter planes practicing landings on the motorway.
Changez feels worried and powerless. He is angry at Pakistan’s weakness. Changez feels like a “coward” and a “traitor” for leaving his people during this time. He wonders why he is leaving for a good job and a woman who won’t even see him.
His parents insist he return to New York. His mother tells him to shave his beard, saying it makes him “look like a mouse”. On the flight back, Changez sees many young people like himself leaving Pakistan. He feels “contempt” for himself and them.
When he returns to New York, he still has his beard. He did not shave it, perhaps as a protest or a reminder of home. Changez does not want to blend in with his clean-shaven colleagues. He feels “deeply angry” for many reasons.
Chapter 10
In Chapter 10, Changez travels to Chile for a new work project. He is no longer excited by first-class travel or champagne. He feels worried about Erica and misses her. Changez believes her illness is spiritual and wants to understand why he couldn’t help her.
In Chile, Changez meets an old book publisher named Juan-Bautista. Juan-Bautista asks what Changez knows about books, not just finance. Changez’s job is to figure out how to value the company if its unprofitable literary part is closed.
Changez finds it hard to focus on work. He reads news about India and Pakistan instead. Changez sees America as playing a neutral role, which favors India. He also notices that Valparaiso, like Lahore, is a city in decline.
His boss gets annoyed because Changez is not working well. Changez’s views on his job change. He recognizes that focusing solely on money overlooks important personal and political concerns. Juan-Bautista seems to notice Changez’s changed mood.
Juan-Bautista later invites Changez to lunch. He asks Changez if his job, which harms others’ lives, bothers him. Juan-Bautista then tells Changez about “janissaries”.
These were Christian boys taken by the Ottoman empire and trained to be loyal Muslim soldiers, fighting against their own former civilizations.
Changez realizes he is like a modern-day janissary. He feels like a servant of the American empire, which is hurting countries like his own.
The next morning, Changez tells his boss he refuses to work anymore. He says he is returning to New York. His boss, Jim, is upset and says Changez is hurting the company.
Jim tells him soldiers fight for their team, and his team needs him. Changez considers this, but he decides he is done focusing on money. He knows he will lose his job and visa, but he boards a flight back to New York.
Chapter 11
Chapter 11 opens with Changez on his flight back to New York from Santiago. He feels bleak and full of resentment towards America’s global actions, like its involvement in conflicts in Vietnam, Korea, the Middle East, and Afghanistan.
Changez sees that finance is how America uses its power. He now understands it was right to stop helping in this “domination.”
Changez resolves to see New York with the eyes of an “ex-janissary,” meaning he will analyze American society fully, not just par
ts. He feels that America, like an empire, has “armed sentries” and makes foreigners like him feel like “indentured servants”.
However, the next morning, Changez’s feelings change. He realizes how much he is giving up by leaving his job and New York, a city of “magical vibrancy”. Changez also thinks about his “duty to Erica”.
Changez goes to Underwood Samson for his last day, trying to appear unaffected. He is escorted by security guards to Human Resources to pack his things.
His exit conversation is short. Jim, his boss, tells him he “screwed us” but also says he likes Changez and offers to buy him a beer if he ever needs to talk.
Changez is unable to reply. Only Wainwright, among his colleagues, comes to say goodbye; others seem uneasy or fearful of him. Changez feels like a “world had ended” as he walks to his apartment.
He calls his brother, who tells him about repairs at their Lahore home and the increasing tension with India. Changez tells his brother he is moving back to Lahore because he was fired, and his visa will expire.
Changez tries to contact Erica, but her email is full, so he drives to the mental institution where she is staying. The nurse tells him Erica is “gone”; she vanished about two weeks ago.
The nurse explains that Erica had been saying goodbye to everyone and that her clothes were found “neatly folded” on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River, implying she may have committed suicidé. Changez finds it hard to believe.
He then visits Erica’s mother, who confirms Erica is missing and gives him Erica’s manuscript. Changez initially doesn’t read it. Changez wanders New York, revisiting places they shared, but they feel altered or have vanished.
He remembers an earlier time with Erica in Union Square, holding her, and wondering if the firefly they saw “made it.”
Changez eventually reads Erica’s manuscript, which is an adventure tale. He cannot find Erica in her writing, and it gives him no clues about her fate.
Changez understands that she chose “not to be part of my story” and was following her own path. This makes him realize he needs to prepare to leave New York.
His final days in New York are filled with anger and depression. He feels America is “posturing” and unwilling to see shared pain. He resolves to “stop America” in his own way.
As a final gesture before leaving for Pakistan, he leaves his jacket on the curb at JFK Airport as an offering for Erica, a “wish of warmth.” This causes a security alert.
Chapter 12
Chapter 12 begins with Changez explaining that even after returning to Pakistan, his connection to America had not fully ended.
He felt emotionally linked to Erica and had lost a part of himself to her that he couldn’t find again in Lahore. This caused his moods to shift, with waves of sadness and regret.
He often wakes up at dawn, having imagined an entire day with Erica. In these vivid thoughts, they would share meals, go to work, ride a scooter, and make love.
He also had fleeting but intense memories, like seeing a puddle that reminded him of Erica’s joy, or a bruise on his ribs matching where hers had been.
These experiences led him to believe that once a relationship blurs boundaries, it’s hard to return to being a separate person.
Changez continued to read the Princeton Alumni Weekly, looking for Erica’s name, but she never appeared in its pages. He held onto hope and sorrow from each of her absences.
He continued emailing her until her account became inactive, then sent a yearly letter that was always returned unopened. His mother urged him to marry, worried about his sadness, but Changez chose to wait for Erica.
He then discusses the threat of war with India, which peaked the summer after he returned. Changez notes that America’s actions, under the guise of fighting terrorism, seemed to advance its own interests and justify harm to countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, and tacitly pressure Pakistan through India.
Changez got a job as a university lecturer. He made it his goal to advocate for Pakistan to disengage from America.
He became popular with his students, teaching them finance but also encouraging them to participate in demonstrations that the foreign press called anti-American.
One protest near their current location became violent, and Changez was arrested, ending up with a bloody lip and bruised knuckles.
He became a mentor to many young people, advising them on various aspects of life. Changez admits some students were like “thugs,” but he generally could tell their character. He received warnings but avoided suspension due to the demand for his courses.
He was very upset when a student was arrested for allegedly planning to assassinate an American aid coordinator. Changez told international news that America was too quick to inflict death on other countries. He hoped this public statement might reach Erica.
Since then, Changez has felt like he’s being watched and has been plagued by paranoia. He ends his story by noting that the waiter, who had seemed to rub the American stranger the wrong way, is now approaching.
Changez urges the stranger not to assume all Pakistanis are terrorists, just as Americans aren’t all assassins. As they reach the hotel gates, Changez extends his hand, and the American reaches into his jacket, showing a “glint of metal”.
The conversation concludes ambiguously, with Changez wondering if the American is reaching for a business card holder or something else.
