-answer Craciun’s questions-use data from the Cheveresan paper, but mask the key concepts of personal and social identity(perhaps replace with the glocal thing)-use key words from the slide thing-use a maximum of two points from the pdf paper-skim the film review for extra ideas-browse the wiki page for postcolonialism to find other key terms

PLOT POINTS

Changez is a Pakistani, who was granted a Princeton scholarship and graduated with accolades. He secured a job with Underwood Samson, a prestigious economical valuation company and was highly regarded by both his superiors and colleagues.

Changez became infatuated with an American girl named Erica, while vacationing with other Princeton students in Greece. Their relationship is filled with turmoil, due to Erica’s feelings for her deceased former boyfriend.

In the beginning of the novel, we see Changez in an interview with Jim for Underwood Samson. (Mohsin, 2006: 8) When asked about his abilities and qualities, Changez focuses on his determination and intellect, traits which are universally lauded, especially in American societies. However, Jim is more interested in the fact that Changez managed to overcome obstacles imposed by his personal identity in order to achieve his goals with concern to his social identity. Changez notes that he is one of the two Pakistani students to have been accepted by Princeton and highlights the fact that only the best from other cultures are accepted into elite American universities. Changez believes this is illustrative of America’s pragmatism and its goal to continue improving itself.

While vacationing in Greece, Changez notes that there are many cultural differences between himself and his Princeton colleagues. He can not understand how his American classmates can disregard their elders and speak to them as if they were on the same level. He can also fail to grasp how they can part with money so easily.

After he begins working at Underwood Samson, Changez describes the view from his window, 42 stories high, and notes that his view reminds him of the vast discrepancy between 21th century America and Pakistan. While in the past, America was just a group of 13 colonies that had yet to form a nation, Pakistan was thriving as a nation.

Nowadays, the roles have been reversed, but what is interesting is the fact that Changez does not feel pleasure at escaping his lower social condition and his success at climbing the socio-economical ladder. On the contrary, he feels ashamed for himself and his country, so once again, his personal identity trumps his social identity. We can say that this is the part of the novel where Changez begins to

experience the first symptoms of an identity crisis. His inner essence remains unchanged by his exterior development.

After this first instance of displeasure targeted at America, many similar incidents arise. When Erica takes him to meet her parents, her father comments on the current political and economical climate in Pakistan. (Mohsin, 2006: 87) Changez does not dispute the veridicity of Erica’s father’s claim, but he does confess that the tone of condescension bothered him and he underlines the fact that this tone is specifically American. We could say that Changez is ashamed to have his country’s shortcomings pointed out by an outsider.

After this initial bout of humiliation and shame, while on his trip to Manila, Changez begins to act more and more like an American. His goal in doing this was to gain the respect of his co-workers and his inferiors. He even begins to break his moral code and addresses his superiors by using a tone he would have condemned in the past. Also, when asked where he is from, he begins to answer with New York, as opposed to Lahore. He confesses that this change in behaviour made him feel ashamed, but that he gave no outward sign of it. (Mohsin, 2006: 115)

Many people consider the destruction of the twin towers as the turning point of the novel. However, as we have already illustrated, the change in Changez’ identity began much sooner. The reaction of the protagonist after seeing the towers collapse is to laugh. Changez hastens to reassure the reader that he is not displaying sociopathic tendencies and that he does not revel in the death and suffering of thousands of Americans. But as a foreigner, that has lived all his life under the shadow that is the great country of America, he can not help but be pleased to see that someone managed to bring America to its knees. Changez is as perplexed as the readers at this initial reaction, but can not help feeling that way. He displays a mask of shock and concern when he meets his colleagues, but does not share their dismay.(Mohsin, 2006: 140) Here, Changez’ personal identity clearly overcomes his social one.

Even though everything about his social life: his New York apartment, his Princeton education, his American girlfriend speak of a firm social standing and identity, somehow, his personal background overcomes all these statistics and becomes dominant.

After the 9/11 attack, while returning to Manhattan, Changez is treated differently from his co-workers. He is detained and searched, both while leaving Manila and arriving in Manhattan. He is constantly aware of being under suspicion and can not help but behave self-consciously. On arriving in New York he hears rumours about Pakistani cabdrivers being beaten and the FBI raiding mosques, but he chooses to disregard these rumours and continue with his job. (Mohsin, 2006: 162)

Due to the terrorist attack, a change envelops Changez’ life. His personal identity and his social identity trade places. If before, people saw Changez as an intellectual and a businessman, now they only see a foreigner, a Pakistani that presents a threat.

As the media begins documenting every aspect of the aftermath of the 9/11 attack, Changez begins to grow more and more disenchanted with America. He resents the media’s portrayal of Pakistan and its neighbouring countries as uneducated and begins to clearly see America’s imperialistic tendencies.

Throughout the novel, Changez draws a clear comparison between Erica and her inability to let go of the idea of her former lover and America and its nostalgic tendencies. The name Erica could be considered a contracted version of America. When describing America, Changez notes typical American beauty elements. Both Erica and America are beautiful on the exterior, but on closer inspection, they couldn’t be more intangible for Changez. After the 9/11 attack, America begins to narrow its sense of identity and begins excluding multiculturalism.

At one point, Changez visits his hometown and family in Lahore, Pakistan. He is shocked when he sees all the changes that have taken place in his absence, but after a period of reflection he realizes that actually, the change came from him. He was no longer looking at his country through the sphere of his personal identity. His social identity had affected his perception. He is able to shake off his superficial view and begins to see his country not as a foreigner, but as a native. After this change in perception, Changez returns to America. He is no longer able to revert to his former point of view. His personal identity has overtaken his social one. The clear symbol of this change is his beard. Even though Americans began to associate the beard with terrorism and began treating him with increasing amounts of disrespect, he refused to shave it. This refusal symbolizes the fact that the protagonist needs to value his life by his personal standards, rather than by the standards that have been instilled in him by Princeton and his workplace. When Changez refuses to shave his beard, this, in the eyes of Americans, constitutes a social insult.

The protagonist’s appearance and attitude are not the only things that undergo transformations. Changez begins to have poor results at work, because he begins to see the futility of it all and the discordance between his work and his moral code and personal preoccupations. The culmination of this is instigated by Juan-Bautista, the head of a publishing company that Changez is evaluating. Juan-Bautista tells him about the janissaries, who were Christian boys that were capture by the Ottoman army and trained to be soldiers in a Muslim army. They were very loyal and because they had helped destroy their own civilization, they had nothing to go back to.(Moshin, 2007:183)

Juan-Bautista acts as a catalyst for Changez’ introspection. At the end of his deliberation, Changez realizes that Bautista was right and chooses to resign from his job with Underwood Samson and return to Pakistan.

THEORETICAL POINTS

Glocal identity-mixture of global and localA newly coined term by postcolonial scholars to show the ever clashing mixture of global and local dualities in immigrant’s personalities (dress, language)

New York: changez says he is from NY, he is focued on his career, he is a businessman and wears a suitPakistan: Changez is a university lecturer and an advocate for disengagement from the USA. His special traits are his beard and kurta

Slide 6- assuring the reader of the fact that his otherness is not overwhelming

The east meets the west: changez tells erica to pretend that he is Chris, her ex boyfriend

Hegemony= the power of the rulling class to convince other classes that their interests are the interests of all, domination by consent.-Globalization is a myth and what is actually taking place is the spread of American values, power and products across the globe=> American hegemony-Juan-Bautista, make a living by disrupting the lives of others.

Hybridity= creation of new transcultural forms- cross-cultural exchange

-white and western superiority versus coloured and colonial inferiority

Alterity=the state of being different or other/otherness