It has now been fifteen years since America and the world were hit by a terror attack of a new and unknown quality. The Muslim terrorists belonging to Bin Laden's terror network Al- Qaida who hijacked several planes to use them as lethal weapons against America and her symbolic role as the country of freedom and democracy started a new era of political, social and religious uproar and chaos inexperienced so far.
This chaos expressed itself not only in the Gulf Wars that were to follow or the ongoing wars in Lybia, Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan and the migration waves to Europe as a result from all this it also paved the way for a literary embodiment of 9/11 as a literary element which has found a fixed place within migrant writing in the widest sense and Muslim writing in particular.
The fact that writers from East (and West) incorporated this key date into their novels threw light on the fact that 9/11 did not only function as a global, national, collective, religious or individual trauma it also showed its widespread application for plot, character, constellations, speech and reception of many authors. The introduction and employment of 9/11 into contemporary literature slowly but steadily showed its ongoing importance for contemporary writing.
In 2007 the newspaper USA Today declared on a headline that 'Novels about 9/11 can't stack up to non -fiction' thus throwing light at the multiple use of it as a narrative element. In 2015 an editor for The New York Times Book Review suited that the necessity for a 9/11 novel goes on because it reflects 'a new age of terror'.
The fact that 9/11 is a widely used element of Muslim writing shows that it is this group of contemporary novelists who are aware of its manifold use for literature.
Literature is, however, always a reflection of social, political and religious conditions and it is exactly this link which is of special interest here.
The author of this text therefore first of all gives a general introduction into 9/11 before he tries to reflect in with Muslim writing and the post-9/11 novel thus throwing light on the close link between both sides and the literary conequences resulting from this. This will be done with the help of Mohsin Hamid's novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) which has by now been accepted as a masterpiece of this new genre.
Table of Contents
I. 9/11 - a historical and political survey
II. The influence of 9/11 on Muslim Writing
III. The Reluctant Fundamentalist ̶ the prototype of a 9/11 novel
IV. Conclusion
V. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This work examines the literary embodiment and the narrative significance of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, specifically analyzing how this event has shaped contemporary post-9/11 literature, with a primary focus on Mohsin Hamid’s novel "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" as a prototypical example of this genre.
- The historical and political context of the post-9/11 era and the "War on Terror."
- The evolution of "9/11 fiction" as a distinct literary genre.
- The representation of Muslim identity, trauma, and the "clash of civilizations" in modern literature.
- The critique of Western imperialism and the impact of globalization on migrant and hybrid identities.
- Mohsin Hamid’s "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" as an allegory of the shifting relationship between the East and the West.
Excerpt from the Book
III. The Reluctant Fundamentalist ̶ the prototype of a 9/11 novel
Hamid’s novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist is concerned with the story of a 22-year-old Pakistani named Changez before and after 9/11. The first person narrator sits next to an unknown American, who seems to be shy and reserved. While having tea and eating dinner together, Changez tells the American the story of his life. Although their conversation seems to be based on dialogue, it is, strictly speaking, a monologue, because the American does not take part in the conversation verbally. The questions the American seems to ask are repeated by Changez as well, and they give the reader the feeling of some sort of dialogue (TRF: 1; 168; 170). The American, who remains unknown and passive all the time, gains some sort of indirect characterization because he receives calls on his mobile phone every hour, sends text messages, seems to be nervous and keeps a distance to all other guests in the café. The last passage of the novel gives the reader the feeling that he is an agent of the secret service. The open ending, along with the hint at a “glint of metal” (TRF: 184) in the pocket of the American seems to support this option with the idea of a pistol that could be used to kill Changez. The alternative for the reader is the imagination that the American is, simply speaking, shy and that the shining of metal is mistaken for the fact that this is a “business card” (TRF: 184).
Summary of Chapters
I. 9/11 - a historical and political survey: This chapter provides an overview of the global political consequences of the 9/11 attacks, discussing the proclamation of the "War on Terror" and its subsequent impact on international relations, cultural tensions, and the religious discourse between the West and the Muslim world.
II. The influence of 9/11 on Muslim Writing: This section analyzes how contemporary writers, particularly those from a Muslim background, have incorporated the events of 9/11 into their narratives to explore themes of trauma, migration, and the "migrant condition" in a post-colonial context.
III. The Reluctant Fundamentalist ̶ the prototype of a 9/11 novel: This core chapter offers a detailed literary analysis of Mohsin Hamid’s work, focusing on the protagonist Changez and how his personal development mirrors the shifting political and cultural landscape of the post-9/11 world.
IV. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the main findings, asserting that 9/11-themed literature serves as a crucial documentation of collective and individual trauma while questioning the role of globalization and the "American Dream" in the 21st century.
V. Bibliography: This section lists the academic sources, newspapers, and primary texts referenced throughout the analysis.
Keywords
9/11, Muslim writing, post-9/11 novel, Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, War on Terror, Islamic fundamentalism, globalization, migrant identity, cultural trauma, clash of civilizations, postcolonial literature, narrative, identity crisis, American Dream.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic paper?
The work investigates the emergence of the "9/11 novel" as a specific literary genre and analyzes how the September 11 terror attacks have fundamentally altered the narrative landscape and the portrayal of Muslim identity in contemporary English-speaking literature.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
Key thematic fields include the intersection of literature and politics, the trauma of migration and the "migrant condition," the discourse surrounding the "War on Terror," and the negotiation of identity in a globalized, post-9/11 world.
What is the central goal or research question?
The research aims to understand how 9/11 acts as a catalyst for contemporary fiction, exploring whether the literary reflection of this event allows for a critical revision of Western-Eastern relations and the complexities of human identity.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes a qualitative literary analysis, specifically focusing on the textual examination of contemporary novels and integrating postcolonial theory and cultural studies to contextualize the narrative developments.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body moves from a historical and political survey of the post-9/11 era to an analysis of Muslim writing, culminating in a close reading of Mohsin Hamid’s "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" to demonstrate these theories in practice.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The analysis is centered on concepts such as the post-9/11 novel, Muslim identity, cultural trauma, the clash of civilizations, and the critical deconstruction of the American Dream.
How does the protagonist in Hamid’s novel reflect the "reluctant" nature of the title?
Changez is considered "reluctant" because, while he is perceived by his environment as a fundamentalist due to his background and his critique of American capitalism, he remains internally torn and non-violent, ultimately refusing to adopt a radicalized or militant identity.
What role does the unnamed American interlocutor play in the novel?
The American serves as a silent, passive mirror to Changez’s monologue, symbolizing the intrusive yet largely detached presence of American power. His passivity and the potential threat implied by the "glint of metal" force the reader to question the true nature of their interaction.
How does the work interpret the "janissary" metaphor?
The janissary comparison is used to highlight Changez’s position as a "modern-day" servant of the American empire, realizing that his success within the Western capitalist system has come at the cost of his original cultural identity and loyalty.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Matthias Dickert (Author), 2016, The post-9/11 novel as a political and literary trauma. Fact and fiction in Mohsin Hamid's novel "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/341804
