This final post is in response to the last reading we did for the class– The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. The novel follows the story of Changez, a Pakistani man who works in NYC after graduating from Princeton. It details his struggles as a Pakistani man in NYC following the attacks on 9/11, but also his internal dissonance as he balances his dual identities as a New Yorker and as a Pakistani.
In section, our discussion opened with an analysis of the first paragraph. In the first paragraph, Changez, who speaks directly to the reader for the entire story, states, “Ah, I see I have alarmed you. Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America.” To set up the story, Hamid chooses to use the symbol of the beard to represent muslims. Since the publishing of the book, the beard has become a symbol tied to muslims and to islamophobia. Hamid uses a reference to a beard to say that he is not dangerous, he is not a fundamentalist/extremist.
Inspired by this quote, I created the image above. The piece is simply graphite on paper. I use the NYC skyline to create the man’s beard. I use the irony here to create the symbol of what individuals feared after the attack–men with these beards–out of the city itself. I even include the twin towers to form his side burns. Additionally, I include a subtle tear to show the man’s internal conflict over his identity, like Changez.
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