Erica's Characterization Based on Mohsin Hamid's 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' adulthood set in America during the 9/11 attacks. It follows the fictional journey of protagonist Changez, a recent Pakistani Princeton graduate who attempts, but ultimately fails, to assimilate into American society. The story unfolds over the course of a single evening in a cafe, in Lahore, Pakistan, where Changez tells an American stranger the story of his life in America. The book uses a dramatic monologue structure, where Changez is the only perspective we hear. The American is silenced. Who is he? Secret agent sent to assassinate Change or just a tourist looking for a cup of tea? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay It can be argued that the way in which characters are developed throughout the novels is crucial in reflecting the underlying ideas that the author wishes to address. This concept is very apparent in Hamid's novel, particularly in the character of Erica. A beautiful and popular Princeton graduate, Erica is Changez's love interest. As we soon discover, after September 11, she fell into depression and some form of mental illness, centered around an obsessive longing for her deceased boyfriend, thus destroying any possibility of a relationship with Changez. Erica as a representation of America's decline and final collapse After World War II and the Cold War, the United States established its dominance as a global superpower, leading contemporary society in terms of economy, military, of technology and other various achievements. However, the coordinated terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, resulted in the destruction of the World Trade Center and, one might argue, a symbolic collapse of American authority and supremacy. We see that in the wake of these attacks, the nation is becoming increasingly obsessed with its “glory days,” characterized by its refusal to deal with the current situation. It became nostalgic – defined as a sentimental longing or nostalgic affection for a period of the past. A paraphernalia of American symbols and flags, televisions broadcasting military announcements, newspapers containing words such as "duty" and "honor" enveloped the country. Is this seemingly harmless patriotism really a dangerous nostalgia? In the wake of these attacks, America launched what is known as the “war on terror,” but it was fueled by a dark undercurrent of prejudice and racism. Indeed, it was the events of September 11 that triggered the collapse of American sovereignty. He seemed unable to distinguish between murderous terrorists and harmless citizens. It is no coincidence that “Erica” is contained in the word “America”. She symbolically represents the nation and her evolution as a character throughout the novel is deliberately paralleled with that of America. Reflecting America's unchallenged dominance after World War II, Erica is presented in the early chapters of the book as a perfect person, an embodiment of the perfect woman. She is intelligent, studies and graduated from Princeton University and is an avid writer, currently publishing her first novel. She is also wealthy, living in a "prestigious" apartment in New York, regularly attending parties and vacationing in the Hamptons. When Change the meeting for thefirst time at a Greek graduation party at Princeton, he describes her in Chapter 2 as "incredibly regal" and makes many observations about her during this time. One of the most insightful comments on Erica and perhaps gives us true insight into her character is found again in chapter 2 where Changez says "she had told me she hated being alone, and I noticed that it rarely was. She attracted people to her; she had a presence, an unusual magnetism. Then he compares her to a lioness – 'strong, elegant and invariably surrounded by pride.' These four characteristics that Erica embodies at the beginning of the novel – beauty, intelligence, wealth and popularity – are akin to America before the September 11 attacks. Returning to America as star-crossed lovers and enjoying time together, Changez also learns of Erica. now dead is her boyfriend Chris, who died a year ago of lung cancer. Despite this, Erica had moved on, ready for a new relationship, which was evident with Changez from the early stages of the novel. However, after September 11, things changed dramatically for Erica and Changez. Erica, for a reason currently unknown to Changez, becomes more and more obsessed with Chris, talking more and more about their past experiences together: their childhood, their first kiss, their dates together. As Changez described in Chapter 6: “like so many others after the attack, she seemed deeply anxious. The destruction of the World Trade Center, as she put it, revived old thoughts that had settled at the bottom of a pond; now the waters of his mind were murky because of what had been ignored before. Eventually, we reach a point where Changez realizes the danger of embarking on a serious relationship with Erica, and feels in "the strength of his continued attachment to Chris" a rival and feels that he can "never compete » against him, even if a “dead”. Even though Erica and Changez were still dating, their experience had changed. He notes that she often seems "completely detached, lost in her own world." His eyes were constantly turned inward and the remarks made by his friends were only indirectly registered on his face. She was fighting against a current that was pulling her within herself. It is in chapter 7, however, that we begin to see the repercussions of such an obsession with the past. Returning from an evening together, Changez attempts to establish intimacy with Erica. He fails, Erica's body negating his, a direct result of her dependence on Chris. Then, Changez whispers to him “then pretend, pretend I’m Chris”. He tells the American "it was like we were under a spell, transported into a world where I was Chris and she was with Chris, and where we made love with a physical intimacy that Erica and I didn't have." never appreciated." Changez pretending to be Chris to make love happen is a clever metaphor for how Changez must pretend to be someone he is not to escape American racism after 9/11. This also applies to America's Muslim population. Their culture was under attack and they had to mask their religion to avoid prejudice. Soon after, Changez's relationship with Erica deteriorates rapidly and she is admitted to a psychiatric clinic to help treat her illness. All attempts made by Changez to communicate with Erica have been in vain and at this point in the novel he does not know what is going on with Erica, but understands that she needs someone other than him, even consenting to play the role of a man who is not himself. , is unable to give it to him. As Changez explained, “she would disappear into a..’

Essay / Erica's Characterization Based on Mohsin Hamid's 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' adulthood set in America during the 9/11 attacks. It follows the fictional journey of protagonist Changez, a recent Pakistani Princeton graduate who attempts, but ultimately fails, to assimilate into American society. The story unfolds over the course of a single evening in a cafe, in Lahore, Pakistan, where Changez tells an American stranger the story of his life in America. The book uses a dramatic monologue structure, where Changez is the only perspective we hear. The American is silenced. Who is he? Secret agent sent to assassinate Change or just a tourist looking for a cup of tea? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay It can be argued that the way in which characters are developed throughout the novels is crucial in reflecting the underlying ideas that the author wishes to address. This concept is very apparent in Hamid's novel, particularly in the character of Erica. A beautiful and popular Princeton graduate, Erica is Changez's love interest. As we soon discover, after September 11, she fell into depression and some form of mental illness, centered around an obsessive longing for her deceased boyfriend, thus destroying any possibility of a relationship with Changez. Erica as a representation of America's decline and final collapse After World War II and the Cold War, the United States established its dominance as a global superpower, leading contemporary society in terms of economy, military, of technology and other various achievements. However, the coordinated terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, resulted in the destruction of the World Trade Center and, one might argue, a symbolic collapse of American authority and supremacy. We see that in the wake of these attacks, the nation is becoming increasingly obsessed with its “glory days,” characterized by its refusal to deal with the current situation. It became nostalgic – defined as a sentimental longing or nostalgic affection for a period of the past. A paraphernalia of American symbols and flags, televisions broadcasting military announcements, newspapers containing words such as "duty" and "honor" enveloped the country. Is this seemingly harmless patriotism really a dangerous nostalgia? In the wake of these attacks, America launched what is known as the “war on terror,” but it was fueled by a dark undercurrent of prejudice and racism. Indeed, it was the events of September 11 that triggered the collapse of American sovereignty. He seemed unable to distinguish between murderous terrorists and harmless citizens. It is no coincidence that “Erica” is contained in the word “America”. She symbolically represents the nation and her evolution as a character throughout the novel is deliberately paralleled with that of America. Reflecting America's unchallenged dominance after World War II, Erica is presented in the early chapters of the book as a perfect person, an embodiment of the perfect woman. She is intelligent, studies and graduated from Princeton University and is an avid writer, currently publishing her first novel. She is also wealthy, living in a "prestigious" apartment in New York, regularly attending parties and vacationing in the Hamptons. When Change the meeting for thefirst time at a Greek graduation party at Princeton, he describes her in Chapter 2 as "incredibly regal" and makes many observations about her during this time. One of the most insightful comments on Erica and perhaps gives us true insight into her character is found again in chapter 2 where Changez says "she had told me she hated being alone, and I noticed that it rarely was. She attracted people to her; she had a presence, an unusual magnetism. Then he compares her to a lioness – 'strong, elegant and invariably surrounded by pride.' These four characteristics that Erica embodies at the beginning of the novel – beauty, intelligence, wealth and popularity – are akin to America before the September 11 attacks. Returning to America as star-crossed lovers and enjoying time together, Changez also learns of Erica. now dead is her boyfriend Chris, who died a year ago of lung cancer. Despite this, Erica had moved on, ready for a new relationship, which was evident with Changez from the early stages of the novel. However, after September 11, things changed dramatically for Erica and Changez. Erica, for a reason currently unknown to Changez, becomes more and more obsessed with Chris, talking more and more about their past experiences together: their childhood, their first kiss, their dates together. As Changez described in Chapter 6: “like so many others after the attack, she seemed deeply anxious. The destruction of the World Trade Center, as she put it, revived old thoughts that had settled at the bottom of a pond; now the waters of his mind were murky because of what had been ignored before. Eventually, we reach a point where Changez realizes the danger of embarking on a serious relationship with Erica, and feels in "the strength of his continued attachment to Chris" a rival and feels that he can "never compete » against him, even if a “dead”. Even though Erica and Changez were still dating, their experience had changed. He notes that she often seems "completely detached, lost in her own world." His eyes were constantly turned inward and the remarks made by his friends were only indirectly registered on his face. She was fighting against a current that was pulling her within herself. It is in chapter 7, however, that we begin to see the repercussions of such an obsession with the past. Returning from an evening together, Changez attempts to establish intimacy with Erica. He fails, Erica's body negating his, a direct result of her dependence on Chris. Then, Changez whispers to him “then pretend, pretend I’m Chris”. He tells the American "it was like we were under a spell, transported into a world where I was Chris and she was with Chris, and where we made love with a physical intimacy that Erica and I didn't have." never appreciated." Changez pretending to be Chris to make love happen is a clever metaphor for how Changez must pretend to be someone he is not to escape American racism after 9/11. This also applies to America's Muslim population. Their culture was under attack and they had to mask their religion to avoid prejudice. Soon after, Changez's relationship with Erica deteriorates rapidly and she is admitted to a psychiatric clinic to help treat her illness. All attempts made by Changez to communicate with Erica have been in vain and at this point in the novel he does not know what is going on with Erica, but understands that she needs someone other than him, even consenting to play the role of a man who is not himself. , is unable to give it to him. As Changez explained, “she would disappear into a..’

Navigation

« Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next »

Get In Touch