A Study of Cultural Trauma in Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Abstract

Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist primarily deals with the cultural trauma on the basis of Third World Muslim immigrant’s experience in present America. To go one step ahead, it deals with the traumatic condition of whole Muslim community and America, especially by the September 11 attack on Twin Tower. Since it deals with cultural trauma, its prime emphasis is on the explication of the protagonist, and his unadjustable situation, in America, due to extreme impact of cultural trauma-originated through his inferiority complexes; in economics, power, race, and ethnicity in comparison to America leading his individual trauma to be a collective one. This trauma of inferiority ultimately makes him conscious of his own identity along with Pakistan’s national identity. Changez has the trauma of identity of being a so called fundamentalist. So he turns to be an anti-American and resents America and its unnecessary use of power on weaker countries.