Explore the way Hamid presents this encounter at the start of the novel, "The Reluctant Fundamentalist".
Moshin Hamid begins the passage with a solicitous and beguiling question which sets the tone and voice of the narrator for the rest of the novel. "Excuse me, sir but may I be of assistance?"," demonstrates the conversational manner of the passage and creates a more intimate and confiding sense as the reader, along with the apparent American stranger, are revealed the details of the narrator's relationship with America. .
The use of an overt narrator is effective in allowing the reader to grasp the narrator's views and opinions on issues, yet the reliability of the narrator is questionable. For instance: "Do not be frightened by my beard,"" illustrates the social context of the passage and the presumptuousness of the narrator challenges the problems about stereotypes and the idea of identity. .
The narrator also seems to stereotype the American by stating, "your expansive chest," are typical of a certain type of American. The passage is a dramatic monologue where the narrator is having a conversation with an American stranger, but with only the narrator speaking. The reader is shown the narrator's responses to the American, but the American is not directly represented themselves. This technique allows us to learn more about the American through the interactions and observations with the narrator, and creates distance between the American and the reader. .
Throughout the novel, the narrator is inquisitive, asking such questions as, "How did I know you were American?"," and "What did I think of Princeton?", which supports the conversational tone of the passage yet also creates a sense of interrogation. The excessive politeness and attentiveness of the narrator's tone, as in, "You prefer that seat, with your back so close to the wall?"," indicates the strangeness yet revealing tone of the conversation, making it clear that the two are meeting for the first time.
