Analyze the scene where Esty and Yanky’s marriage is on the rocks as a result of her (seeming) inability to bear children. What GI does this lead you to think about? How is this scene portrayed? Whose perspective is privileged? How?

I think that Esty’s difficulty in having a child stems more from her discomfort with the marriage than her problems biologically. A key moment in which this can be seen is after Yanky’s mother pays her a visit to confront her about not being able to have a child. As Esty’s trust in Yanky deteriorates, she finds it increasingly hard to get into bed with him to try for a child. Even when she finally is able to do it, she does it purely to get over all the ‘voices’ as he puts it in her head. During the moment the camera is locked onto her face as she covers her eyes holding back tears. At the end of the sexual encounter, the camera pans on the two of them to show Yanky laughing with happiness while Esty’s silence speaks for itself. This stark contrast relates to the global issue of the role of patriarchal influence on sexual encounters. Men’s needs supersede women’s wants during a time in which both parties should be equally consenting and derive equal happiness from the process. Esty faces a severe internal crisis as she has been indoctrinated to believe that her main goal in life is to have kids. She deeply desires to have a child but faces the problem of the physical pain that confronts her. This happens to numerous women worldwide and this belief disvalues the pleasure women also can get from sex. It can be said in many traditional settings that as long as the woman has kids, the process that they go through no matter the physical mental trauma she faces is insignificant compared to the creation of a new life.

When Esty hooks up with Robert towards the end of the episode, it is implied that they have sex, and her happiness the next day implies that there were no difficulties through that process. This further pushes Esty through her character arc as she learns that sex can be fun and a moment for her to properly enjoy rather than fear. Perhaps, the show is trying to push the message that women’s sexual needs should be considered to make the process more enjoyable for both parties

Pick any two of the following visuals (from a choice of 3) and examine how its form and content (refer to visual language techniques like composition, framing, music, etc.) express the themes of the mini-series and its global concerns.

Image a: In image a, the scene is centered around Etsy’s first few moments in Berlin as she in the cab driving to her mother’s house. The framing of the scene allows the viewer to see Esty’s face for a part of the cab ride. This helps show Esty’s unfamiliarity and the feeling of angst present in her. The use of first-person shooting to viewing the ride from Esty’s perspective is very crucial as it allows the viewer to be in Esty’s shoes for a brief few moments. This helps keep the viewer engaged by providing a unique perspective. This relates to the global theme of acclimatization which is very rampant with the copious amounts of globalization present in the world right now. Numerous individuals have that feeling of settling in a new home after having left their old home in a rush. Furthermore, this could also link to the theme of identity loss which is something the show seems to always push. The tears that can be seen on Esty’s face help the viewer understand the anguish she is going through as she has just left her entire life behind her. She is trying her best to strip that facet of her identity away from her but it just keeps clinging on reminding her where home is.

Image c: In image c, the scene is centered around Etsy’s, relatives revealing the potential relationship between the Shapiro family and their family. The music in this shot is purposely used to help add some tension which helps reel the viewer into the show which helps engage the reader. The composition is also particularly important as we can see the aunt standing up while the grandmother is sitting down. This helps show the power dynamic present in the family as it alludes to the actual power the aunt has over Esty’s life. This relates to the global issue of heirachie’s present in society. Many groups in society have more power in general and it can be seen that in the Hasidic community, the elder people have the power and are able to dictate the lives of the younger people without any opposition.

What does your novel say about how the United States deals with Muslim immigrants and expatriates?

The reluctant fundamentalist addresses the discrimination and prejudices Muslim immigrants face in America. Changez faces numerous instances in which he experiences the power complex present between Americans. Since the very first page, Hamid utilizes the idea of judging people based on appearances and preconceived notions. Hamid reveals the underlying racism and fundamentalism immigrants face in the United States through the use of a “frame narrative” and subversion of expectations.

On the first page of the story, Hamid writes: “Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America”. Hamid introduces the idea of judging based on appearances, an act very common in the United States, especially for immigrants. The reader is forced to already paint an image in Changez in their mind. For me it was an image of a common man likely uneducated trying to strike a conversation with a foreigner. However, Hamid subverts audiences by revealing Changez as a Princeton graduate with a top-level job and a well-spoken individual. This helps set his point that America is a land filled with assumptions, as the reader has already had to make their own assumptions. This ploy is carried out throughout the narrative. Changez and the American constantly judge each other based on their racist preconceptions. The American suspects Changez because of his beard and clothing, while Changez assumes the stranger is an American due to his bearing and stature. In the end, Hamid doesn’t reveal if either Changez or the Stranger were correct with their judgments: Changez might be a terrorist, and the Stranger might be a CIA operative. Readers are forced to decide whether the stereotypes of terrorists and spies are, in this case, accurate. At the end of the book, Hamid writes, “But why are you reaching into your jacket, sir? I detect a glint of metal. Given that you and I are now bound by a certain shared intimacy, I trust it is from the holder of your business cards”. Hamid purposely leaves the ending ambiguous so that as a reader we are forced to end the book with our own imagination. Audiences with different racial backgrounds might imagine the ending to be different. Hamid makes it so that as a reader, we are forced to make our assumptions of the characters thus revealing the underlying true problem in American, that people constantly make assumptions without caring about what they truly are.

Hamid uses the reluctant fundamentalist as a device to reveal the main problem society has with stereotypes. The book forces readers to make their own assumptions about the characters which corresponds with American Society constantly engaging in acts of prejudice. Perhaps Hamid wants readers to become aware of their own racist tendencies as being a Muslim himself he might want to voice his concern for the problems faced by his people.

“I was, in four and a half years, never an American; I was immediately a New Yorker…I tend to become sentimental when I think of that city…which is quite something, I must say, given the circumstances under which, after only eight months of residence, I would later depart.

What are the interesting points made here?

In this extract taken from the book, Changez expresses his feelings for the time he spent in New York during the duration of the book. It is very interesting to see some of the fondness he still holds for New York despite his experiences that we come to learn of later. “Hamid uses the city of New York as a symbol of Changez’s desire to fit in with American culture.

Changez’s desire to fit in with American culture can be seen as soon as he gets the job offer from Underwood Samson. He is eager to live the ‘American Dream’ as he takes great pride in his stature. He works extremely hard to the point where Jim says to him, “You’re working too hard. You don’t want to burn out, now”. Changez also modifies some of his habits such as the business trip he took to Manila, “Perhaps it was for this reason that I did something in Manila I had never done before: I attempted to act and speak, as much as my dignity would permit, more like an American”. He goes on to state that, he was “often ashamed. But outwardly gave no sign of this”. This is a clear indication of Changez’s desire to try and appear as American as possible. He feels that the display of an American identity guarantees him a happy and successful life. During his time at Princeton, Changez isn’t conscious of this patriotic indoctrination, but after the twin tower attacks, he witnesses an enormous surge in the patriotic obsession with the United States’. Although he had thought that New York City had its own distinct culture, after the attack he sees the city join with the rest of the United States in forming a single culture whose most obvious characteristic is its hostility to non-Americans like Changez himself. In fact, at this point, Changez is so reluctant to let go of his perfect view of America, that even when he hears rumours of Muslims being abused and discriminated against after the September attacks, He believes it just as a consequence of every country’s tendency to abuse “the hapless poor”. He believes himself to be immune as he feels he is a creature bred from American life as a “Princeton graduate earning eighty thousand dollars a year”, and someone with a job in a prestigious American firm. His reluctance to admit that he will never truly be accepted as an American no matter what he does is finally tested when the attack on the Indian parliament causes his identity to split into two separate parts which cannot coexist. He is forced to accept one of these.

Changez’s experiences a shift in Identity which tests his loyalties as he is forced to side with either America or Pakistan. Hamid poses the question, is it ok to identify with a country that wasn’t an original part of your identity”. This inner conflict is one faced by numerous people around the world and with the rise of globalisation leading to people moving to different countries, it is often easy to feel lost from your original identity.