The Reluctant Fundamentalist: The Importance of Symbolism

            I believe that there is only one way to read a book, but there are many ways to interpret one.  In my opinion, the best way to truly understand the meaning of a book is to uncover the symbolism within.  This philosophy is greatly true in The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.  The author uses a significant amount of symbolism beneath the façade of the basic storyline, but it requires sharp attention to discover.  Upon reading this book, I found that Erica, the girl who Changez falls in love with, has a symbolic connection to America.  This symbolism was not particularly easy to find, but if read correctly, the book revealed many hints to this connection.  A small hint to Erica’s symbolic connection to America is the similarity in the two names; Erica shares the last five letters with America. In the beginning of their relationship, when Changez sees Erica for the first time, he says, “ So stunningly regal was she.” (p.17) He later says, “ She attracted people to her; she had presence, an uncommon magnetism…strong, sleek and invariably surrounded by her pride.” (p.22) The book also reveals that Changez felt the same way about America in the beginning; He was attracted to America and its’ power, and he wanted to live the “American Dream.”  America is a country filled with pride, which Changez talks about later in the book.  The way he describes Erica is synonymous with his descriptions of America in the beginning of the book.  When the 9/11 attacks occur, Changez’s view on America begins to change.  Non-coincidently, his relationship with Erica begins to have problems.  Later in the book, Changez lets go of America and returns to Lahore around the same time that Erica goes missing.  I believe that this is not a coincidence.  The symbolism is extended even further when Changez makes love to Erica, insisting that she pretends he is Chris.  This scene contains important symbolism; If Erica is a symbol for America, than, in this scene, America influences Changez to pretend to be someone else, hiding his true identity.  After this scene, Changez gets deeper into the American life style.  However, Changez remains to be “reluctant.”  On page 106, he says “perhaps, by taking the persona of another, I had diminished myself in my own eyes.”  This quote shows how Changez feels about changing for Erica (America) and that he is ashamed of his new personality.  This is a perfect example showing his reluctance towards the American life.  Changez realizes how much America has changed him when he visits his old home in Lahore and becomes nostalgic.  Hamid’s use of symbolism is significantly effective in The Reluctant Fundamentalist because it adds so much more meaning to the main idea of the book.  Without understanding the symbolism, the reader might think Erica is simply an American girl who Changez falls in love with, but the symbolism adds much more purpose to her character.  Just from understanding the symbolism of Erica, the reader gains the understanding of America’s effect on Changez and how he really is a “reluctant fundamentalist.”