In these texts, the treatment of both characters within the
immigrant experience leads to questioning of identity and capability of
assimilation into foreign cultures. The sense of dehumanisation and detachment
with which both characters are regarded contrasts in relation to the context of
their positions as migrants. The protagonist in ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’
is returning to a country which is personally regarded as his home- ‘’I live
here’’. The detachment in which this character is treated despite his asserted
position implies the author’s emphasis of America’s capability of suspicion
following the events of nine-eleven. Whereas the character of Biju in ‘The
Inheritance of Loss’ attempts to enter America despite having no academic
prestige or notable income; thus resulting in a considerable disadvantage as to
the treatment of his character with any note of favour or empathy.
In ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’, the character of Changez
is regarded as a possible threat in a country which he had served for several
years and asserted his right for respect within it. In his justification of his
reaction to the events of nine-eleven, Changez’s repetition of ‘’America’’ and the
formation of his identity from the American experience ‘’I was the product of
an American university’’ is used by the author to imply the estrangement of not
only the protagonists identity and self-perception, but also the view of his
character as now separate from the American system, alone and viewed as a
foreign threat by the society around him. Additionally, the use of the term
‘’product’’ to refer to himself reveals how the dehumanisation of the
immigration system alters the protagonists perception of himself. ‘’Product’’
implies a machine-like and mass produced object, the fact that Changez
perceives himself as such reflects how the author is emphasising the deep
impression which profiling and dehumanisation can have on a character when
enforced by authority. The fact Changez adamantly begins to view himself in
such a light is particularly poignant due to the context of the novel, which
follows his transition into a fundamentalist, as it reveals to the reader how
separation of identity and self can cause a character to revert to extreme
ideals in order to regain a sense of belonging or identity.
The admittance of Changez feeling ‘’uncomfortable in my own
face’’ implies the characters lack of identity, a sense of disconnection
between his view of himself and the perception of his outward identity and
appearance. The lack of confidence in a key part of Changez’s identity- the
very feature which profiles him- suggests that the author is using his
insecurity in order to depict how the cold detachment of the immigration
process results in the subject feeling ashamed of their identity, resulting in
a detachment from their sense of self and dehumanisation in regards to becoming
adjacent to their identity. This self-dehumanisation as a result of the
immigration process is additionally found in ‘The Inheritance of Loss’ as the
group of migrants are described simply as ‘’shabby people’’, the only detail of
character we receive from this viewpoint is ‘’some individuals with no shoes’’.
The facial features of the others waiting for approval are never revealed. This
sense of monotony in character is a key implication into the detachment of the
protagonists- Biju’s- perception of other immigrants. Thus resulting in a mass
dehumanisation due to the portrayal of migrants by the immigration process as
lacking individuality or character.
The author of ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ commented in
how the immigration process became ‘’increasingly unpleasant’’ following nine
eleven for his Muslim acquaintances. The treatment of immigrants as such is
portrayed aptly in these two texts. However, ‘The Inheritance of Loss’ is set
several decades before nine-eleven, whereas ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’
follows this key event. Therefore, despite the inherent similarities between
the treatment of these two characters; the context of situation and time
differ. The dehumanisation of Changez due to the immigrant experience is
somewhat more poignant that that of Biju. As Changez’s character had already
assimilated to a certain degree within the American system, whereas Biju aims
to become a part of that system and lacks the academic prowess or economic
stability which Changez possesses. Therefore, the immigrant experience is
portrayed by the authors to always maintain a degree of detachment which
reflects within the perspective of the protagonists, thus implying that despite
our supposed advancements in acceptance and open-mindedness, our cultures still
view immigrants as invaders rather than assets.
