I’ve reached a bit of a road block so I do not believe this will be my whole introduction by any means, but its a start nonetheless:

Mohsin Hamid’s political thriller “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” follows narrator Changez’s- a heir of a once-well-established family in Pakistan- discussions with an unknown traveling companion- referred to only as “You”- that retells his journey in establishing himself as a successful uptaker of the American dream as means of connecting with the foreigner visiting his nation. What begins as pleasant small-esque talk upon meeting quickly turns into a more deep & confounding recollection of Changez’s crucial changes in character & deteriorations of his own identity by consequence of many elements of American culture. Changez’s lighthearted storytelling can be interpreted as merely that, but below the surface many ugly facets of American ideals taint Changez to an extent truly unknown to the audience, & only vaguely touched on by Changez himself, yet his changes in character are apparent nonetheless. 

I’d like to focus on the ways the American Dream seemed to force Changez to change in character, as well as looking at the extent of such things (influencers & changers). Thinking in terms of character building, his relationships, alienation/loneliness, social change, inner turmoil, etcetc. I hope to have it more fleshed out soon, & I’m excited to get to start thinking about this work more again!