Representation of Muslims as the Other: A Comparative Study of Updike's Terrorist and Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Abstract

This research is a study of representation of Muslims in post 9/11 fictions. Particularly, the study mainly focuses on the comparative study of John Updike's Terrorist and Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Both Updike and Hamid present Muslim characters as protagonists, but representation of Muslims is quite different. Updike as an American represents Muslim from the American discourse 'Muslim as the other'. Hamid represents the Muslims from the view of Migrant Muslim, who became the victim of American torture after the event of 9/11. Updike's Terrorist represents the Muslims as fundamentalist, terrorist and aggressive figures, who are not ready to accept to freedom, modernity and secularism. On the Contrary, Hamid reverses the stereotypical representation of Muslims and represents Muslims as much tolerate and modern as Westerners. This study analyzes both writer's representation of Muslim and concludes that in the conflict of religion and culture of Western and Muslim civilization innocent Muslim people have become victims after 9/11. Muslims are stereotypically represented in Updike's Terrorist while Hamid challenges this kind of representation and reestablishes Muslim identity.