The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The novel consists of two narratives: the frame narrative—which takes the form of a conversation between the Pakistani protagonist, Changez, and an unnamed American at a café in Lahore—and the flashback narrative, told by Changez in increments, that describe his time in America both before and after the events of 9/11.  The novel is told by way of a dramatic monologue, from a first-person point of view, in the present tense. This literary device is evident in the first few sentences of the novel, and carries throughout the remaining nine chapters of the story. Whenever Changez interrupts the narrative about his time in America, he notes a remark, question or issue related to the stranger which informs the reader a bit more about the stranger’s uneasiness at the Lahore café.

Changez approaches a somewhat dubious looking American stranger while in the district of old Anarkali. It’s never made clear who the American stranger is or what he’s doing in Lahore; whether he’s simply a businessman or a CIA agent. Whoever he is, Changez notes that the stranger appears to be on a ‘mission.