Stereotypes In The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Theme of Stereotypes in The Reluctant Fundamentalist In The Reluctant Fundamentalist there are many situations where the characters are in a sense stereotypes. Throughout the story there seems to be a theme of stereotypes, especially Muslim. Being a Pakistani, Changez always felt like an outsider in America. After 9/11 Changez becomes a target for discrimination because of his cultural background. The use of stereotypes helps the reader understand social environments and better understand who the characters are and are not. The story begins with Changez telling an American not to be frightened by his beard and that he is a lover of America. Right away the reader notices that the Muslim stereotype will play a major role in the story. Changez is actually like any ordinary person, however his cultural background makes him assume that he is different. Changez had many friends, went

Even his mother told him to shave his beard before going back because it became a symbol of Muslim extremism in the eyes of Americans. Changez returned to work and discovered he is being whispered about by his colleagues. Both Jim and Wainwright give Changez the advice to shave his beard because the company layoffs are about to be decided. He later is behind on his work and gets fired, so he moves back to Lahore, Pakistan. Another character who falls as a stereotype is the waiter. Throughout the entire story, Changez points out that the person he is talking to has suspicion of the waiter. The story takes place in Changez's hometown in Pakistan, so the American is uncomfortable because he probably views the people around him stereotypically, afraid that a terrorist might approach him for being American. He even asks Changez if the waiter was praying as if he was about to commit a terrorist attack. Changez keeps reminding the man that he should not worry and that the waiter is just a hard working