EN355 Modern & Contemporary American Fiction

From the abstract: "The author reads from, discusses and responds to questions about his novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist, a narrative concerning the psychological consequences of the events of 9/11 for a young Pakistani man working in corporate America. Themes of nostalgia, alienation and distrust are explored, as well as the role that literature can play in sustaining ambivalence."

From the abstract: "The article presents literary criticism on the book "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" by Mohsin Hamid. According to the author, the novel is illustrative of a kind of world literature which explores the idea of a crisis in American hegemony. Particular focus is given to the book's portrayal of the relationship between Pakistan and the U.S. Topics discussed include the concept of world-system literature, allegory, capitalism, and imperialism."

From the abstract: "An interview with Pakistani novelist Mohsin Hamid is presented. He discusses his experience immigrating to Great Britain, his definition of the term mongrel, and his opinions on citizenship. He says that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the U.S. war in Iraq could affect literature since they affected culture and history. He discusses narrative voice, romantic love, and realism verses stylization in his works. He comments on his novels "Moth Smoke" and "The Reluctant Fundamentalist."

From the abstract: "The article discusses the novels "The Reluctant Fundamentalist," by Mohsin Hamid and "Burnt Shadows," by Kamila Shamsie as examples of Pakistani writing in English after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It describes how the cultural peculiarities of Islamic cultures coalesce in the figure of the terrorist in popular American discourse. The role of the disempowered refugee, the dissident citizen and the disenchanted immigrant in the novels is also explored."

From the abstract: "An essay is presented about the theory of critical global fiction. It cites the book "The Reluctant Fundamentalist," by Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid to discuss the theory of global fiction, which is a literary work that criticize the forces inhibiting global understanding and establish international coalitions. It also cites the opinions of writers like Shameem Black, Rebecca Walkowitz, and Rita Barnard on the topic."