I'm going to make an analysis of The Reluctant Fundamentalist’s first chapter, to discover the message conveyed by Mohsin Hamid.

The first sentence, “Excuse me, sir, but may I be of assistance?”, shows immediately the highly formal language used by the narrator, Changez (the name is not revealed yet).

Then, it is clear that the American interlocutor is not feeling calm: “Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America ”, where the reader hasn't other reasons of why the narrator’s beard should be a problem.

From the beginning of the text, the reader can create some ideas about the protagonist, who shows to be a good observer. Indeed he analysed the body of the foreigner, saying “you seemed to be on a mission”, where the last word can represent a sign of who the American man actually is, and why he is sitting at a tea room in Lahore.

“I am both a native of this city and a speaker of your language” deals with the protagonist’s experience of living between Pakistan and U.S.A.: when he arrived at Princeton university, he tried to integrate himself in the occidental society, but he lost his faith in the American dream, after the Twin Towers collapse.

Then, when Changez asked to the interlocutor why he wouldn't remove his jacket, the protagonist says “So formal!”, in contraddiction with his behavior .

Successively he starts to tell about his story in America, from Princeton's to Underwood Samson's experiences. The narrator stated: “I see the power of that system, pragmatic and effective, like so much else in America”.

In his class there were only two Pakistani guys, but “the non-Americans” used to put bigger effort in their studies than the others, they were chosen among a big number of international students. The selection process is complex, but the chosen ones receive complete financial help, entering in the “ranks of meritocracy”: the novelist conveys one of the main topics, which regards the America’s rewarding attitude. Anyway, they contribute with their talents, in order to repay the country’s generosity, and they were happy to do so, “at least at first”.

Changez seemed to be full of potential thanks to the education of Princeton, and he believed to get any job he wanted, except Underwood Samson & Company. The firm represents another difficult selection process, that is another symbol of the American meritocracy.

While Changez is talking about the firm, the narrator interrupts his speech worried by the waiter saying: “You seem worried. Do not be”. Successively there is a sentence that invites curiosity in the reader,

“there is no need to reach under your jacket, I assume to grasp your wallet”, but the reader can't know what the interlocutor had under his jacket.

After ordering tea, the protagonist returns to his experience at Underwood Samson firm, introducing a new character: Jim. His appearance reminds to a seasoned army officer, and he asked to Changez “sell yourself”. The use of the term “sell” is a reference to the capitalistic system of USA, where people seem to be products to exploit.

Jim asked the man about his nationality, with no comments about his economical situation. Jim could be identified as the American dream: it does not matter where someone comes from, everyone has the chance to make progress and money. The following description of Changez’s family refers to the distance with Pakistan, where status has more importance than everything.

Then with the sentence “one has two choices: pretend all is well or work hard to restore things to what they were. I chose both” Changez ended living between two different countries.

The story was interrupted by another attempt to reassure the American interlocutor, worried by his tea that could be poisoned, but the protagonist showed it was not. Once more, he appears to be very polite, since he warned him to drink the hot beverage not too fast.

Changez returned to the Underwood Samson’s interview, talking about how he definitely got the job: he assumed a professional attitude to value a fictitious company.

“We don’t waste time” Jim said: this is typical of the American-capitalistic stereotip, which believes in change and progress (“Underwood Samson had the potential to transform my life”).

When Changez got the job, the protagonist felt incredibly proud. Princeton represented his big opportunity, but as he said, it could not make him forget things as how much he enjoys teas in his birth city.

Mohsin Hamid wanted to express once again Changez's experience as a Pakistani man in America.