COMMODIFIED IDENTITIES: A MARXIST READING OF CULTURAL AND CLASS DIFFERENCES IN MOHSIN HAMID'S THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST

Abstract

This study examines the cultural and class differences depicted in Mohsin Hamid's novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist through a Marxist lens. Through the character of Changez, Hamid explores issues such as identity crisis, otherness, cultural displacement, and the class and cultural tensions faced by non-natives in America in the post-9/11 era. The study aims to examine the cultural distinctions that contribute to the discrimination faced by the protagonist, and to explore the factors, namely capitalist exploitation, alienation, religion, class gap, and imperialism, that give rise to these cultural and class differences. It further examines the strategies through which Changez navigates and resists this discrepancy, including cultural adaptation, resistance to assimilation, confrontation with Islamophobia and prejudice, and political awakening. A qualitative research method is employed to conduct this study, drawing on close textual analysis of the novel within a Marxist theoretical framework. The findings indicate that cultural and class differences in the novel are closely bound up with capitalist structures, social alienation, religious difference, and imperialist practice, all of which significantly shape Changez's experiences and identity, while his eventual disillusionment with the American Dream and return to Pakistan reflect a broader resistance to the commodification of cultural identity and to Western capitalist and imperialist ideology. The study concludes that The Reluctant Fundamentalist offers a critical representation of the complex relationship between culture, class, power, and identity in the post-9/11 context. The study is expected to enhance understanding of cultural and class differences and their effects in a globalized context, offering valuable perspectives for students and future researchers.