Reluctant Fundamentalist

A reoccurring motif of The Reluctant Fundamentalist is the idea of changing from someone who feels out of place to someone who feels comfortable with their surroundings. Earlier in the story the protagonist, Changez tells the reader he was "one of only two Pakistanis in (his) entering class (at Princeton) - two from a population of over hundred million (p.3)." Simply by considering this opportunity, it is evident that Changez felt out of place in Pakistan and realized he needed a change in environment. However as the years go by in America, Changez gradually discovers he is still not comfortable living in the first world either. A clear example of this is when Changez reassesses his companions and confesses, "I will admit that there were details which annoyed me. The ease with which they parted with money ... I found myself wondering by what quirk of human history my companions were in a position to conduct themselves in the world as though they were its ruling class (p.21)." Another prominent example that reiterates the motif of change is when Changez is disoriented by the stare of a Filipino jeepney driver. After having this encounter with the Filipino, Changez once again reassess his companions, "Then one of my colleagues asked me a question, and when I turned to answer him, something rather strange took place. I looked at him and thought, you are so foreign. I felt in that moment much closer to the Filipino driver than to him; I felt I was play-acting when in reality I ought to be making my way home, like the people on the street outside (p.67)." When Changez uses the metaphor of play-acting, it signifies Changez is being forced to act like someone he is not. In addition, when he draws attention to the people on the street making their way home, he suggests that he will soon do the same, thus foreshadowing. These examples plus the many more in the book, all collaborate to create the theme of change.