Use this study pack to organise your notes on the text. Keeping your notes together like this will help you track patterns across the text, make connections to other texts, and prepare for assessments in the future.
Use the slides to understand the mistakes that were maid in our writing assignment where we answered the question, "How does Hamid explore ideas of marginalisation in his novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist?" Uderstanding these errors and how to avoid them will help you in every one of your assessments in IB English.
Does Changez redeem himself in the end?
Do you think Changez’s critique of American interventionism is fair, or is it biased by his personal experiences?
Was Hamid subtle with the ambiguity around the American, or was his characterisation too obvious?
To what extent is Erica a symbol in the story rather than a fully fleshed-out character?
Is Erica a fully-rounded character, or is she just two-dimensional?
How did you feel about the ending? Was it emationally and/or intellectually satisfying?
To what extent do you think that Underwood Samson reflects the worse aspects of American politics and values?
Did you find Changez likeable? How did this impact your experience of the text?
Do you think this is an important text to ready today? Why? Why not?
How does Hamid use the narrative perspective to shape the reader’s understanding of Changez and his story?
In what ways does The Reluctant Fundamentalist critique the relationship between globalization and identity?
How does the novel reflect the impact of 9/11 on individuals’ identities, both in America and abroad?
Analyse the ways in which Underwood Samson represents capitalism and its dehumanizing aspects.
Discuss how nostalgia functions in the text, particularly for Changez and Erica.
How and to what extent does Hamid use ambiguity in the novel?
In what ways does The Reluctant Fundamentalist explore marginalisation?
How does the the text develop the themes of perception vs. reality?
How and to what effect does the text explore ideas of grief?
How does the text challenge or reinforce traditional gender roles and dynamics?
Click the link above or the image to access materials that might help with your understanding of the text.