Characterisation
in
The Reluctant
Fundamentalist
Characters
 Overall, the characters in The
Reluctant Fundamentalist are
simultaneously human and symbolic.
 In other words, Hamid fashions them
human identities through character
development, but he also uses them as
symbols to illustrate the novel’s larger
motifs and themes.
Because the characters are
human, they are not plain and
uncomplicated symbols such as
the characters in an allegory.
Rather, as humans, they
occasionally do and say things
that contradict their symbolic
meanings.
By using character development and
symbolism simultaneously, Hamid
creates a complex and multilayered
tale.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist’s
multifaceted nature makes the story
rich but also ambiguous: the
questions that Hamid raises often
lack definitive answers.
Changez
 Narrator and protagonist
 Pakistani from Lahore
 Mid twenties
 Graduates from Princeton
 Little money – financial aid – 3 jobs
 Polite and formal – different – raised in upper class society
 His polite manner helps him at Underwood Samson
 Jim takes a special interest – similar backgrounds
 Falls in love with Erica he meets in Greece
 After 9/11 realise can’t keep Erica or his job – opposes
”maximum efficiency”
 Returns to Lahore, becomes uni lecturer, makes statements
labelled ”anti-American”, popular with students
The American
 Never named – what does this do?
 His nationality is easily guessed
 Tall, barrel chested, looks like “ a seasoned army officer”
 Fancy cell phone – contacted on the hour and always texts
back
 Bulge in jacket
 Sits with back to wall
 Knows Manhattan well and has travelled to the East
 Uncomfortable with Changez’s reaction to 9/11
 Begins to question if C is telling the truth
 Glances over shoulder as walking down Mall Road.
Wonders if they are being followed
 Reaches for something metallic in his pocket
Erica
 Wealthy, athletic Manhattan socialite
 Detached, sinking into depression
 Inspired to write by grief
 Her love for Chris prevents her from becoming
truly intimate with Changez
 Eventually committed to a mental health clinic by
the Hudson River
 Clothes are found neatly folded by river
 Symbolic of America – C’s relationship: C is at odds
with her just as he is at odds with America
Jim
 C’s boss at Underwood Samson
 Middle aged
 Princeton alumnus
 Poor background
 Look of seasoned army officer
 Takes special interest in C
 When C visits Jim’s apartment, he sees nude males
among his artworks
 Senior valuer – sees thru people easily
 Finds it easy to evaluate without becoming emotionally
involved – a true valuer (blind to human cost)
 Remains supportive of C, even tho’ he has to fire him
Wainwright
 Colleague and friend at US
 Father from Barbados
 Ranked second to C
 Light-hearted and social
 Likes to quote movie lines
 first person to dance at Jim’s party in the
Hamptons
 Doesn’t lose trust of C after 9/11
 Tries to help C
Juan Bautista
 Runs music business in Valparaiso that US is valuing
 Resembles C’s grandfather
 Thick glasses, cane, walks slowly
 Juan-Bautista tells C about the janissaries and suggests C
is like them
 Directs C to Pablo Neruda’s house – encouraging him to
become a revolutionary, a change of heart follows for C as
he vows to become an ex-janissary and see America thru
clear eyes
 John and Baptist - like him to C – cleanses C of his conflict
and helps him find a new way to live his life
Minor Characters of Note – read at home
The waiter
 The waiter is a large and imposing man. He continually approaches
the table to wait on the American. At the novel’s end, he is walking
on the road behind them. The American seems to distrust the
waiter.
Chris
 Chris is a character that never actually appears in the story,
although he plays a significant role. He was Erica’s first and only
love, an artist “with long skinny fingers” (28). Chris was like Erica’s
brother until they became romantically involved in high school; she
calls him her “home.” Chris, or the idea or memory of him,
consumes Erica’s thoughts and eventually devours her when she
(presumably) commits suicide.
Sherman
 Sherman is a vice president at Underwood Samson who gives the
trainees their orientation on their first day of work. Therefore,
Sherman is Hamid’s mouthpiece for stating the ethos of Underwood
Samson— and, symbolically, America. He is also the person who
initiates Changez and the other new hires into using their expense
accounts. He takes them out for a bottle of champagne and, before
leaving, tells them to drink to their hearts’ content.
The Filipino driver
 The Filipino driver glares at Changez when they are both stopped at
an intersection in Manila. Although we do not know why he stares
Changez down, his gesture makes Changez aware of his inner conflict
regarding what it means to work in corporate America.
The cashier
 The cashier works at the Pak-Punjab Deli in New York City. He gives
Changez a free breakfast on his first day of work. That night, Changez
tries to pay him with his American Express corporate charge card.
The nurse
 The nurse is a friendly woman who works at the clinic where Erica is
sent. She is Erica’s go-between both times Changez visits. On the
second visit, the nurse tells Changez about Erica’s disappearance and
shows him the place where her clothes were found. The nurse, like the
wall on the island of Rhodes, represents the emotional and moral
barrier that separates Erica and Changez.
The man in the parking lot
 The man in the parking lot accosts Changez and speaks to him in
nonsense syllables meant to sound like Arabic. He creates Changez’s
first direct and personal experience of prejudice in the post-9/11
climate.
Chuck and Mike
 Chuck is Changez’s college soccer buddy who invites him to Greece.
Mike is Chuck’s friend and a rival for Erica’s affections. Both Chuck and
Mike are wealthy Princetonians, members of the Ivy dining club.
 Chuck and Mike are important because they are generic characters;
they represent a certain class of people and their individual identities
are unimportant. In this case, they represent the type of spoiled,
impolite young American that annoys Changez.
 Hamid underscores Chuck and Mike’s similarity by making their names
similar. As Changez remarks, they are “monosyllabically monickered”
(18). Incidentally, the common thread of monosyllabic names extends
to a major character: Jim.
 Jim is not a generic character; Hamid gives us a clear sense of what
makes him unique, and he is not from the same background as Chuck
and Mike. However, Jim’s position in corporate America connects him
to Chuck and Mike; he may be a compassionate person, but he is also
a typical American in his quest for profitability at any cost.
Erica’s Parents
 Erica’s parents are wealthy, educated, and elite Manhattanites. When
Changez comes to their penthouse apartment for dinner, Erica’s
father unwittingly offends him with his brief, cold summation of
Pakistan’s political state. Changez has more interactions with Erica’s
mother, because she—like the nurse—is a go-between in Changez’s
relationship with Erica. When Changez visits her after Erica’s
disappearance, she gives him Erica’s manuscript.
Changez’s Family
 Changez family once belonged to Lahore’s wealthy elite class. They
are still elite, but their economic situation has been deteriorating for
several generations. According to Changez, his relatives are addicted
to nostalgia because the reality of their financial decline is too painful
to bear. Their resulting debts, arguments, and emotional problems
wreak havoc on the whole family.
 When the conflict between India and Pakistan begins, some of
Changez’s relatives begin making emergency preparations. After his
visit to see his parents, Changez feels guilty that he is leaving the
country instead of fighting for it.
Conclusion
In this section, we learned that:
 Overall, Hamid treats characters both as individuals and as
symbols. He uses character development simultaneously with
symbolism.
 The novel’s main characters are Changez, the American,
Erica, Jim, Wainwright, and Juan-Bautista.
 The American’s ambiguity, including his namelessness, makes
it easy for the reader to put himself in the American’s
position.
 Chuck, Mike, and Jim all have monosyllabic names that
connect them to the idea of a generic, spoiled and impolite
American.
Moving on…
 Now that you have learnt about the characters and how
Hamid developed them, turn to the Running Sheet DLA,
and begin your work on this assignment. Think carefully
about the characters and how they have been crafted as
you respond to the scenes on the running sheet list.