In the present text I am going to analyze the first chapter’s function of the novel ‘The reluctant fundamentalist. In my opinion it is one of the most important parts in the novel. its main function is to identify the protagonist right away. Moreover, reading first lines , the reader creates his expectations and prepares himself for what will be told. Through the first chapter you can already understand what is the style of the novel. In this case you can see that the story is told by the use of dialogue, but it is not a common dialogue, considering that the narrator never lets his interlocutor reply. Furthermore there is the protagonist’s introduction, he tells his experience in New York, and through his narration the reader creates an idea about him. His way of speaking is confident and polite, this is very important because let the reader understand his personality. Finally already from the first chapter you can guess what will be the main theme of the book, indeed the protagonist begins the dialogue by telling his interlocutor not to be afraid of his beard, so immediately the theme of prejudice and discrimination is placed.