The Orient and The Occident : Breaking Stereotypes in The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Abstract: The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a postcolonial novel that, in this essay, is argued to challenge and question the colonial stereotypes which came into greater focus after 9/11 in America. The challenge is carried out via the narrator’s identity struggle by displaying the different stereotypes he is subjected to. The quiet listener to the narrator’s monologue, together with the reader’s part in creating and making sense of the novel also contributes towards challenging these stereotypes. The East and West are set against each other, displaying how both have harsh and generalizing views of the other.