English Written Test I – First term

Option B

The reluctant fundamentalist the reader has to deal with is Changez, a young Pakistani. He studied at Princeton and obtained to work for Underwood Samson, a prestigious valuation firm. The quotation refers to the relationship he had with the company: Changez is told to be reluctant “to adopt the market fundamentalism”. What are the meanings of “fundamental” and “fundamentalism” in the novel?

Moshin Hamid plays with the multilayered meaning of “fundamental”. The word refers bith ti religious fundamentalism and to the “market fundamentalism” the quotation deals with. The conflictual relationship with both types of fundamentalism is the central theme of the novel.

Working for Underwood Samson Changez is taught to follow the fundamentals of marketing which are related basically on money making. The character observes such fundamentals, at least in the first part of the novel. However Changez is able to recognize that the fundamentals are not only the values of a valuation firm but they are the values of the entire nation. The word “fundamentals” itself recalls the word “foundation”, meaning the basis on which America is built. A proof of this thesis is given by Hamid who calls the valuation firm Underwood Samson (US, like USA). Changez is aware of this but still follows the marketing fundamentals, living his American dream.

The turning point of the novel is the attack to the Twin Towers in 9/11. From that point on the word “fundamentalism” is used both referring to the marketing one and to the religious one. It is in chapter 5 where Changez starts to change (the alliteration between Changez and change is a technique used by the novelist) his mind on which fundamentalism he must follow. Entering into contacts with the negative religious fundamentalism of the attack Changez reflects on his Muslim origins and on his relationship with the USA. He starts to criticize marketing fundamentalism.

The quotation refers exactly to this conflictual situation Changez is living: being reluctant and finally rejecting the marketing fundamentalism he cannot fully accept the religious one. The multilayered meaning of “fundamental” is based on this very conflict.

Even rejecting the “fundamentals” the quotation refers to, Changez keeps on being reluctant: he cannot accept the Muslim religious fundamentalism. This statement goes against the quotation which assumes that the only fundamentalism Changez is reluctant to adopt is the financial one.