Film Screening Worksheet: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

This thought provoking task on a Film Screening Worksheet: The Reluctant Fundamentalist was assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad to enhance our critical thinking. To know about this click here.

                Empire, Hybridity, and the World of The                          Reluctant Fundamentalist

A. Pre-Watching Activities:

1. Critical Reading & Reflection:

• Read excerpts from Ania Loomba on the “New American Empire” and Michael Hardt & Antonio Negri’s Empire. How do these theories reframe globalization beyond the center–margin dichotomy?

Ania Loomba’s concept of the “New American Empire” emphasizes that modern imperial power is not just territorial or military, but also economic, cultural, and ideological. It functions through networks, institutions, and global systems, rather than directly controlling colonies as in classical imperialism. Similarly, Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, in Empire, argue that globalization has created a new kind of sovereignty that is decentralized and deterritorialized, operating through a web of global powers rather than a single “center” dominating “margins.”

Together, these theories challenge the traditional center–margin dichotomy by showing that power is diffuse and systemic, affecting people globally in subtle ways. In this framework, globalization is not just about Western dominance over the rest of the world, but about complex interactions of cultural, economic, and political forces shaping identity, labor, and mobility.

Applied to The Reluctant Fundamentalist, these theories help explain how Changez’s experiences as a Pakistani immigrant in post-9/11 America reflect both inclusion and exclusion, showing how global empire operates beyond simple binaries and shapes his identity, ethical dilemmas, and sense of belonging.

• Reflect in 300-word responses: How might these frameworks illuminate The Reluctant Fundamentalist as a text about empire, hybridity, and post-9/11 geopolitics?

The frameworks of Ania Loomba’s “New American Empire” and Hardt & Negri’s Empire provide a critical lens for understanding The Reluctant Fundamentalist as a text deeply engaged with themes of empire, hybridity, and post-9/11 geopolitics. Loomba’s concept emphasizes that modern imperial power is not simply territorial but exercised through economic, cultural, and ideological networks. Hardt and Negri expand this by showing that globalization creates a diffuse, deterritorialized sovereignty, where influence flows through multiple institutional, social, and political channels rather than a simple center dominating a margin.

Applying these ideas to Hamid’s narrative, Changez’s experiences as a Pakistani in New York reflect the complex workings of modern empire. Professionally, he is absorbed into the elite corporate culture of Wall Street, a symbol of global economic power. Socially and culturally, however, he faces subtle exclusion and overt suspicion after 9/11, highlighting how global power systems operate through both inclusion and marginalization. The text shows that identity under empire is hybrid: Changez embodies Western professional ambition while retaining his Pakistani roots, creating constant tension between assimilation and cultural fidelity.

Post-9/11 geopolitics intensify these dynamics. The attacks reshape global perceptions of Muslims, and Changez becomes a site where prejudice, suspicion, and geopolitical anxieties intersect. Through his narrative, Hamid critiques both the structural violence of the “New American Empire” and the personal, psychological consequences of living in a hyper-surveilled, postcolonial global order.

Thus, these frameworks illuminate the novel as a story of negotiated identity, moral choice, and resistance within global structures of power. By focusing on Changez’s hybridity and the post-9/11 context, the text exposes the ethical and psychological tensions of subjects caught in modern empire, offering a nuanced critique of globalization, cultural negotiation, and systemic inequalities.

2. Contextual Research:

• Investigate Hamid’s background and the timeline of writing the novel. Note how the 9/11 attacks reshaped his narrative.

Mohsin Hamid is a Pakistani author, educated at Princeton University and Harvard Law School. His multicultural upbringing and global education influenced his understanding of cross-cultural identities, migration, and postcolonial dynamics, which later became central themes in his writing.

Hamid began writing The Reluctant Fundamentalist before the 9/11 attacks, initially focusing on the story of a young Pakistani man navigating ambition, love, and identity in the West. After 9/11, he revised and completed the novel to reflect the profound changes in global geopolitics, particularly the heightened suspicion and prejudice toward Muslims. The attacks fundamentally reshaped the narrative by adding post-9/11 paranoia, racial profiling, and moral tension, transforming it into a critical reflection on East–West relations, empire, and identity politics.

This timing is significant because it allowed Hamid to portray Changez’s transformation realistically: from a confident Wall Street analyst to a marginalized individual negotiating cultural, professional, and ethical dilemmas. The novel highlights how historical events influence personal identity, showing the intersection of global power structures with everyday life. Hamid’s background and the post-9/11 revisions together produce a story that is not only personal but also deeply political, revealing the pressures of global empire and the challenges of postcolonial hybridity.

• Write a short summary (150 words): What is the significance of Hamid having begun the novel before 9/11 but completing it thereafter?

 Mohsin Hamid began writing The Reluctant Fundamentalist before the 9/11 attacks, focusing on the story of Changez, a young Pakistani navigating ambition, love, and identity in the West. After the attacks, he revised the novel to reflect the dramatic shift in global and cultural perceptions of Muslims. Completing the novel post-9/11 allowed Hamid to incorporate post-9/11 paranoia, racial profiling, and societal suspicion, giving the narrative greater depth and political relevance.

This timing is significant because it captures Changez’s personal and moral transformation in response to global events: from a confident Wall Street analyst to a man negotiating alienation, cultural conflict, and ethical dilemmas. The novel thus becomes a commentary on identity, hybridity, and the effects of empire, showing how historical events shape individual lives. Hamid’s pre- and post-9/11 perspective allows readers to see both the universal struggle for belonging and the specific pressures faced by postcolonial subjects in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.

B. While-Watching Activities:

1. Character Conflicts & Themes:

• Father/son or generational split: Observe how corporate modernity (Changez at Underwood Samson) clashes with poetic-rooted values—though more implicit, think via symbolism or narrative tension.

In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Changez’s immersion in Wall Street at Underwood Samson represents corporate modernity, emphasizing ambition, profit, and structured efficiency. This is symbolically shown through skyscrapers, formal boardrooms, and rigid routines, reflecting the values of global capitalism.

In contrast, the poetic-rooted values of his upbringing in Lahore—family, literature, and cultural traditions—emphasize humanistic reflection, emotional depth, and ethical contemplation. Although implicit, this clash appears in narrative tension: Changez often reflects nostalgically on his childhood, poetry, and ethical principles while navigating the competitive corporate world. Symbolic scenes, like reading poetry amidst Wall Street chaos, highlight his inner conflict.

This generational or cultural split underscores the tension between material ambition and moral/cultural grounding, suggesting that postcolonial subjects like Changez must negotiate identity between the pressures of modern empire and the continuity of inherited values. It illustrates how corporate modernity can alienate individuals from their roots, creating ethical and emotional dilemmas.

• Changez and the American photographer (Erica): Watch how objectification and emotional estrangement are depicted visually and thematically.

In the film adaptation, Changez’s relationship with Erica, the American photographer, highlights emotional estrangement and subtle objectification. Visually, Erica is often framed in soft, nostalgic lighting or isolated spaces, emphasizing her fragility, memory, and inaccessibility. In contrast, Changez is frequently shown in rigid, formal settings, symbolizing his structured corporate mindset and cultural displacement.

Thematically, the relationship reflects cultural and emotional distance: Erica remains absorbed in her past and personal trauma, while Changez navigates his hybrid identity in a foreign, corporate environment. Their interactions are filled with polite detachment and unspoken tension, illustrating how cross-cultural intimacy is challenged by personal histories and structural inequalities.

Cinematically, moments such as Changez reading poetry while Erica looks on or scenes highlighting their contrasting worlds emphasize the commodification of love and relationships, mirroring the broader tension between cultural values and corporate, materialistic environments. The relationship portrays the alienation inherent in postcolonial subjectivity and globalized spaces.

• Profit vs. knowledge/book: Look for cinematic metaphors of commodification versus literary or cultural value (e.g., scenes in Istanbul).

In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, the tension between profit and knowledge is depicted through visual and narrative metaphors. Wall Street settings, corporate meetings, and financial transactions emphasize material gain, efficiency, and commodification, reflecting the dominance of economic values in modern global systems.

In contrast, scenes set in Istanbul or moments where Changez engages with literature, poetry, or reflective conversations highlight cultural and intellectual value. For example, the Istanbul sequence emphasizes history, aesthetic beauty, and human connection—contrasting sharply with the sterile, profit-driven environment of New York.

These cinematic contrasts symbolize the broader conflict between commercial ambition and ethical, cultural, or intellectual fulfillment. Changez’s inner tension—his appreciation for literature and poetry amid corporate success—mirrors postcolonial struggles to maintain identity, ethical integrity, and cultural grounding under the pressures of globalized capitalism. The film uses these metaphors to critique the reduction of all human endeavor to monetary value, reinforcing the alienation of subjects caught between two worlds.

2. Title Significance & Dual Fundamentalism:

• Monitor moments where Changez reflects on the nature of “fundamentalism”—does the film visually link religious and corporate forms of extremism?

In the film, Changez reflects on the concept of fundamentalism as extending beyond religion to include corporate and state-driven ideologies. Cinematically, moments where he observes rigid corporate hierarchies, profit-driven practices, or strict Wall Street protocols are often visually paralleled with images suggesting control, discipline, and uncompromising adherence to rules, drawing a subtle link to the rigidity seen in religious extremism.

The film portrays these parallels through framing, lighting, and pacing: corporate environments appear stark, orderly, and sometimes oppressive, while Changez’s contemplative reactions highlight his moral ambivalence. By doing so, the film suggests that extremism is not confined to religion—it can manifest in economic systems, nationalistic policies, or unyielding corporate culture. Changez’s reflections emphasize the ethical and personal costs of living within such structures, illustrating his awareness of multiple forms of domination and the tension between compliance and resistance.

• Note scenes where Changez’s reluctance emerges—does the film capture his ambivalence toward both terrorism and corporate dominance?

The film highlights Changez’s reluctance and ambivalence through contemplative moments, pauses, and reflective expressions. He never fully embraces terrorism or extremist ideologies, and this is depicted in scenes where he questions or critiques acts of violence and oppression, often through dialogue with others or internal reflection.

Simultaneously, Changez exhibits unease with corporate dominance. Scenes at Underwood Samson show him participating in Wall Street routines while internally questioning the moral and ethical implications of profit-driven decisions. Cinematic techniques such as close-ups, slow pacing, and juxtaposition of corporate spaces with poetic or cultural imagery visually emphasize his discomfort.

Through these depictions, the film effectively captures the dual tension in Changez’s identity: he is negotiating loyalty, morality, and selfhood under pressures from both global economic systems and the sociopolitical consequences of post-9/11 geopolitics. His ambivalence illustrates the complex position of postcolonial subjects navigating ethical choices in a world shaped by multiple forms of power.

3. Empire Narratives:

• Identify how the film portrays post-9/11 paranoia, mistrust, and dialogue across borders. How are spaces of ambiguity used to suggest complicity or resistance?

The film portrays post-9/11 paranoia through heightened surveillance, tense airport scenes, and suspicious glances toward Changez, emphasizing societal suspicion of Muslims and immigrants. Dialogue across borders, whether in conversations with Americans or in interactions abroad, often carries underlying tension and miscommunication, reflecting the global atmosphere of mistrust and fear.

Spaces of ambiguity—such as cafés, streets, hotel lobbies, or transitional public spaces—function as liminal zones where Changez negotiates his identity and moral choices. These spaces allow him to exhibit subtle resistance (through reflection, ethical decision-making, or questioning authority) while also showing moments of complicity (engaging in corporate life or performing expected social behaviors).

By using these visual and narrative strategies, the film captures the complexity of navigating postcolonial subjectivity under a global empire. Ambiguous spaces become metaphors for ethical and political negotiation, illustrating how subjects must constantly balance compliance, resistance, and self-preservation in a climate of surveillance and suspicion.

C. Post-Watching Activities:

1. Discussion Prompts (Small Groups):

• Does the film provide a space for reconciliation between East and West—or does it ultimately reinforce stereotypes?

The film partially provides a space for reconciliation by humanizing Changez and portraying his internal reflections, ethical dilemmas, and nuanced interactions with Americans. By showing his intelligence, moral awareness, and emotional depth, the narrative challenges simplistic East–West binaries and encourages viewers to empathize with postcolonial perspectives.

However, certain cinematic cues—such as tense framing, dark lighting, and depictions of suspicion toward Changez—can inadvertently reinforce stereotypes of Muslims as threatening or untrustworthy. The post-9/11 context amplifies this tension, showing both inclusion and marginalization.

Overall, while the film fosters critical reflection on identity and bias, it does not fully resolve East–West tensions. Its main achievement lies in prompting viewers to question assumptions and recognize the complexity of intercultural encounters under globalized, postcolonial structures, rather than offering a simple reconciliation.

• How successfully does Nair’s adaptation translate the novel’s dramatic monologue and ambiguity into cinematic language?

Mira Nair’s adaptation successfully conveys much of the novel’s dramatic monologue and ambiguity through cinematic techniques, even though the internal voice of Changez cannot be fully replicated on screen. Close-ups, reflective pauses, and voiceovers help communicate his inner thoughts, moral dilemmas, and emotional ambivalence.

Ambiguity is maintained through the framing of scenes, open-ended interactions, and subtle visual cues—such as contrasting spaces of corporate New York with nostalgic or culturally rich locations like Lahore and Istanbul. These techniques allow viewers to interpret Changez’s motivations and ethical stance, preserving the reflective and tension-filled quality of Hamid’s narrative.

While some nuances of the monologue are inevitably condensed, the film effectively translates the psychological and cultural complexity of the text into visual language, enabling the audience to engage with themes of identity, hybridity, and post-9/11 geopolitics.

• Debate: Is Changez a figure of resistance, a victim of Empire, both—or neither?

Changez embodies both resistance and victimhood. He is a victim of Empire in multiple ways: post-9/11 suspicion, racial profiling, and societal prejudice marginalize him despite his professional success, reflecting the structural and cultural power of global systems. His identity as a Pakistani in America becomes a site of scrutiny and mistrust, highlighting the pressures faced by postcolonial subjects under the New American Empire.

At the same time, Changez exhibits resistance through his ethical reflection, refusal to fully assimilate into corporate culture, and eventual disengagement from Wall Street’s profit-driven ideology. His decisions and contemplations challenge both corporate and societal norms, demonstrating agency within constrained circumstances.

Thus, Changez’s character illustrates the nuanced position of postcolonial subjects: negotiating identity, morality, and agency while navigating structures of power that both include and exclude him. He is neither fully powerless nor entirely rebellious, but a figure caught between complicity, resistance, and ethical choice.

2. Short Analytical Essay (1,000 words):

• Prompt: Using postcolonial theory (hybridity, third space, orientalism, re-orientalism), analyze how the film represents—through visual and narrative strategies—the complexity of identity, power, and resistance in a post-9/11 world.

Using postcolonial theory, The Reluctant Fundamentalist visually and narratively explores the complexity of identity, power, and resistance in a post-9/11 world.

• Hybridity: Changez embodies cultural hybridity, negotiating his Pakistani heritage with his American professional life. The film contrasts corporate Wall Street with culturally rich spaces like Lahore and Istanbul, visually representing his dual identity and the tensions it creates.

• Third Space: Liminal spaces—cafés, airports, streets—function as a “third space” where Changez navigates ethical choices, cultural negotiation, and personal reflection. These ambiguous zones allow both resistance and compliance, emphasizing the complexity of postcolonial subjectivity.

• Orientalism and Re-Orientalism: The film critiques traditional Western stereotypes of Muslims while also portraying the internalized gaze of a postcolonial subject negotiating self-representation. Post-9/11 suspicion and societal prejudice highlight Orientalist perceptions, while Changez’s reflections challenge these narratives.

• Power and Resistance: Corporate dominance, surveillance, and social scrutiny depict structural power, whereas Changez’s ethical deliberations and selective disengagement represent subtle resistance.

Through these strategies, the film highlights how postcolonial subjects navigate global systems of power, moral ambiguity, and hybrid identities, showing the ethical, emotional, and cultural negotiations required under a modern empire.

• Support with reference to the novel’s framing, the film’s adaptation choices, and relevant scholarly critiques (e.g. Lau & Mendes on re-orientalism).

The novel’s framing as a dramatic monologue allows readers to engage directly with Changez’s introspection, ambiguity, and moral reasoning. This narrative choice emphasizes his hybrid identity and the tension between personal ethics and systemic pressures. In the film, Nair adapts this monologue through close-ups, reflective pauses, and voiceovers, preserving the introspective and ambiguous qualities of the text while making them visually accessible.

Scholarly critiques, such as Lau and Mendes on re-orientalism, highlight how the story challenges stereotypical portrayals of Muslims in Western narratives. Changez’s portrayal resists simple victimhood or villainy, instead presenting a complex postcolonial subject negotiating power, identity, and belonging. Cinematic strategies—contrasting Wall Street with Lahore and Istanbul, liminal spaces, and reflective imagery—underscore these dynamics.

Together, the novel’s framing, Nair’s adaptation choices, and critical scholarship demonstrate how The Reluctant Fundamentalist interrogates hybridity, third space, orientalism, and re-orientalism, offering nuanced insight into the post-9/11 global condition and the ethical, cultural, and emotional negotiation required under global empire.

3. Reflective Journal:

• Reflect on your own positionality as a viewer: Did the film shift your perspective on issues of identity, power, or representation? How might these reflections deepen your understanding of postcolonial subjects under global empire?

Watching The Reluctant Fundamentalist shifts one’s perspective by highlighting the complexities of identity, power, and representation in a post-9/11 world. The film encourages viewers to empathize with Changez, a postcolonial subject navigating corporate ambition, cultural hybridity, and societal suspicion. Observing his ethical deliberations and moments of ambivalence deepens understanding of how global systems of power—such as economic dominance, racial profiling, and cultural expectations—shape personal choices and moral responsibility.

The juxtaposition of corporate Wall Street, nostalgic Lahore, and culturally rich Istanbul visually demonstrates the tension between material success and ethical/cultural grounding, prompting reflection on one’s own assumptions about East–West relations. By experiencing the narrative visually and emotionally, viewers gain insight into the lived experiences of postcolonial subjects, including the negotiation of resistance, complicity, and selfhood under global empire. The film thus fosters critical self-awareness, challenging audiences to reconsider stereotypes and the nuanced realities of identity in a globalized, postcolonial context.

References:

Barad , Dilip. “(PDF) Nostalgic Impact on Characterization in the ‘Reluctant Fundamentalist’ by Mohsin Hamid.” Researchgate, www.researchgate.net/publication/350517947_Nostalgic_Impact_on_Characterization_in_the_Reluctant_Fundamentalist_by_Mohsin_Hamid. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025.

 Hamid, Mohsin. The Reluctant Fundamentalist. 2007.