THE

RELUCTANT
FUNDAMENTALIST
by

Mohsin Hamid

pdlm-TRF- pg. 1
STUDY GUIDE
 reading plan/program
 vocabulary and useful links
 pre reading activities:
 deducing content
 puzzle activity in groups:
o meet the author - meet History - meet the setting
 interview with the author - listening
 chapter 1 – reading together and questions
 chapters 2-3
 chapters 4-5
 chapters 6-7
 chapters 8-9
 chapters 10-11
 chapter 12 + post reading activity
 differences between movie and book
 the plot pyramid
 the timeline
 the characters

READING PLAN/ PROGRAM

Monday, September 26th 2022 Introduction and chapter 1 together
Monday, October 31st 2022 Chapters 2 and 3
Monday, November 7th 2022 Chapters 4 and 5
Monday, November 14th Chapters 6 and 7
Monday, November 21st Chapters 8 and 9
Monday, November 28th Chapters 10 and 11
Monday, December 5th 2022 Chapter 12 and end (post-reading)
Monday, December 12th 2022 Revision, main themes + end of movie
Monday, December 19th 2022 Big test 2 on The Reluctant Fundamentalist

VOCABULARY AND USEFUL LINKS

Form groups of 4 people and explain the meaning of complicated /key words. Complete the list on quizlet that will
then be saved on Teams. Explain between 10 and 12 words per chapter. Aim: complete the list before the due dates
(see above) as we are going to start every lesson with the groups presenting briefly (5 minutes max) the words of the
chapters you needed to cover. To present you may simply show and ask a couple of questions or create an
introductory activity.

Chapter 1 Paola
Chapters 2-3 – ready by October 10th Matteo, Batiste, Bledar and Antonio
Chapters 4-5 – ready by November 7th Carolina, Lionel, Alessia, Alissa and Axelle
Chapters 6-7 – ready by November 14th and 21st Cloé, Lisa G, Solange and Réjane
Chapters 8-9 – ready by November 28th Jon, Gabin, Lauren, Lisa H and Kaviya
Chapters 10-11 – ready by December 5th Olimpia, Leticia, Chloé and Teuta
Chapter 12 – ready by December 12 th
Maël, Dorian and Thibaut
QUIZLET: https://quizlet.com/_c0rhpn?x=1jqt&i=fg961
LISTEN AND READ - audiobook disc 1 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkXEs6dPjgI (check on youtube for the
other links)
SUMMARY on video for revision next year or previous to the test:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkWVnkyOd_w&t=7s
pdlm-TRF- pg. 2
 PRE -READING ACTIVITIES:
a. Look at the images. What do they tell you? What may the story be about in your opinion?
Write here your deductions and then share your ideas with a partner. We will put everything together in 5
minutes

pdlm-TRF- pg. 3
 b. Now, watch the trailer of the movie – which is not like the book – did you guess correctly? What other
information can you add to your deductions?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTwU0ooaU4s

c. PUZZLE ACTIVITY: Now divide the class into 2 big GROUPS A AND B. Within these 2 main groups, form 4
teams of 3-4 people– read the part assigned to your group (see following pages) and together jot down 6 key
pieces of information about your topic, preparing a 2-minute presentation. After 20 minutes, meet up with 1
or 2 members of each other group and share the information by completing the grid below. Be clear, be
specific and SPEAK ENGLISH. Do not let the others copy the info: give it to them!!! You have 10 minutes to
share.

TEAM 1 – THE AUTHOR (p. 5)

TEAM 2 – American Imperialism and Islamophobia (p. 6)
TEAM 3 – 9/11 AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND (pp. 6- 7 and if needed: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-
us-canada-57698668
TEAM 4 – GEOGRAPHY OF THE BOOK- Lahore (Pakistan), India and the USA

GROUP A GROUP B

1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4

Write here all the relevant pieces of information about the topics listed above

THE AUTHOR AMERICAN IMPERIALISM AND ISLAMOPHOBIA

9/11 HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

pdlm-TRF- pg. 4
  TEAM 1 - AUTHOR

pdlm-TRF- pg. 5
 TEAM 2: AMERICAN IMPERIALISM AND
ISLAMOPHOBIA

TEAM 3: HISTORY

pdlm-TRF- pg. 6
pdlm-TRF- pg. 7
 TEAM 4: GEOGRAPHY OF THE BOOK

pdlm-TRF- pg. 8
 d. Now, listen once to the following interview and answer the following questions:
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGkZoNDCGfM

a. Where was Mohsin Hamid when he first heard

about the 9/11 attacks in 2001? _________________________

b. Which city was he living in? __________________________

 Listen again and answer the following questions:

a. As an observer, what did Mohsin notice when he was watching the news about the attacks?
1. a dog passing by 2. that his friend was on TV 3. that someone was smiling

b. What can a person separate in one’s mind?

1. a massacre from a mass shooting 2. a massacre from a symbolic, political act 3. a massacre from a religious act

c. At around 20 Mohsin realized and said that he should:

1. be more Pakistani 2. act like himself (myself) 3. be more American

d. Society often pressures people to ___________________________

e. Put the words in the correct order to form a sentence:

things be I If, I that’s should am one two thing wrong.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

e. In the first chapter you will get to know the story of Anarkali, who gave the name to a neighbourhood
in Lahore. Read about her here (extract form Wikipedia) and fill in the gaps with one correct word
given in the box:

whose became nickname loved to According her appears blossom

Anarkali (lit. 'pomegranate _______________') was an unconfirmed woman said to be __________by the
16th-century Mughal prince Salim, who later ____________ Emperor Jahangir. _______________ to some
accounts Anarkali was the ________________ of a courtesan named
Nadira Begum or Sharf-un-Nisa.

According _________ speculative and fictional accounts, Anarkali had an

illicit relationship with Salim, ____________ father, Mughal Emperor
Akbar, had _____________ executed by immurement. The character often
______________ in movies, books and historical fiction.

The richly carved white marble cenotaph at the Tomb of Anarkali bears inscription: Could I behold the face of my beloved once more, I would thank God until the day
of resurrection.

pdlm-TRF- pg. 9
 CHAPTER 1:
a. Before reading: match the following words that you will encounter in chapter 1 with their definitions or
corresponding images on the right.

WORDS DEFINITIONS/IMAGES
1 single vent A provide (furniture) with a soft, padded covering
2 short-cropped B a person's way of standing or moving, posture
3 bench-press C Team representing a high-school or college/university
4 bearing D creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as
the primary material
5 courtesan E

6 upholstered F a person in the second year at an educational institution :

freshman, …, junior, senior
7 stonemasonry G Difficult chances
8 sophomore H

9 daunting odds I Prostitute for upper-class clients

10 varsity team J

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

b. While reading the first part of chapter 1:

- underline the passages where we see that the narrator is speaking to somebody else as in a
DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE.
- describe the American.

- use this symbol to identify the present scenes (Changez and the American in Lahore) 
- use this symbol to identify the past scenes (Changez narrating about his life in America)→

pdlm-TRF- pg. 10
 c. After reading: answer the following questions in pairs:

1. Where did Changez study?

2. Where is he from?
3. What is Changez’s background?
4. Explain why Changez’s family was one of great wealth but was not
rich.
5. What is financial aid?
6. Who is Jim?
7. What was Changez’s sport?
8. Write down two examples of Changez’s sarcasm.
9. Write down a quote from chapter 1.

My favourite quote: p. 14 “When I entered this state I felt unstoppable”.

HOMEWORK:
- read chapters 2 and 3
- be ready with a 2-minute presentation on Sufi (=the inward dimension of Islam) mystics and Zen
masters

pdlm-TRF- pg. 11
 CHAPTERS 2-3:
1. Briefly present Sufi mystics and Zen masters – the other members of the class – write here useful notes:

2. Put the summary of the two chapters back in the right order. Alternatively, you can go on learningapps:
https://learningapps.org/display?v=p0969tgrt22 and then take a screenshot of your results and paste it
here below. Check your answers with a partner:
1 Changez gets inspired by the view of beautiful women walking by and starts talking about the woman he used to love, Erica, back in the USA.
Changez says that similarity is one reason he felt at home in culturally and ethnically diverse Manhattan. Then he describes how, on his first
day at work at Underwood Samson, he is awed by the firm's large window. However, his "firm's impressive
offices made [him] proud."
At the end of the vacation, Erica gives Changez her phone number in New York. Changez is "well and truly smitten" and pictures his future
life with her. Changez's story is interrupted when the American's cell phone rings. But rather than answering the call in front of Changez,
the American texts his reply to keep his communication secret. The incident increases the tension and suspicion between the two men,
though Changez remains as relaxed and polite as ever.
12 Clearly, Jim trusts Changez as much as Changez trusts him. Changez has "the city at [his] feet," but he tells the American that all that would
soon change, as all things do
Changez returns to his narrative. On the island of Rhodes, he sees Erica swim topless. When she invites him to swim, his
embarrassment fades. Erica reveals that her former boyfriend, Chris, died the previous year. When Changez briefly describes Pakistan, Erica
understands he misses it and adds, "I kind of miss home, too," her home meaning Chris.
All the trainees display "a sense of confident self-satisfaction," but Wainwright warns Changez to "beware the dark side." Changez takes
Wainwright to a Pak-Punjab deli, and the two become friends.
At an office party at Jim's mansion in the Hamptons, Jim says he understands Changez is watchful because he "feels out of place."
Changez meets Erica while on vacation in Greece with other Princeton students. Changez is friends with Chuck, a wealthy Princeton
student, but to the other students in Greece Changez is "well-liked as an exotic acquaintance." Erica is beautiful and pursued by many other
male students. Even though she's aloof, Changez decides to woo her.

Changez notices the American gazing nervously around him as if he were unsure whether those he sees are "predator or prey." Changez
puts the American at ease by agreeing that the walking crowds of old Lahore are like the crowded streets of
Manhattan.
Back at the office at the end of the training period, Jim tells Changez he's the top trainee. When Jim offers Changez
an assignment in the Philippines, Changez feels "bathed in a warm sense of accomplishment."
Erica is impressed, saying that Changez "gives off [a] strong sense of home," making him "feel solid." This solidity is something she rarely feels.
While Changez relates this, he notes the American is watching a man with a beard far longer than Changez's. Changez dismisses this man
as being "out of place" in that street and assures the American the man poses no danger.
Sherman, one of the firm's vice presidents, tells the new hires that Underwood Samson is a meritocracy, where they will be
evaluated and ranked periodically. Of Changez's fellow trainees, only Wainwright, a non-white person from the Caribbean, is relaxed and
makes jokes that only Changez seems to appreciate.

3. DIG DEEPER: LANGUAGE - When describing his experience in front of Erica’s naked
bosom in chapter 2, Changez muses aloud (thinks aloud) to the American that being in
Pakistan "heightens [a person's] sensitivity to the sight of a woman's …..It is the effect
of scarcity; one’s rules of propriety make one thirst for the improper."
a- briefly explain – using your own words and working with a partner – what this means: it means that when you cannot have
something or see something (like the skin of women), you tend to desire it more, to look for it.
b- transform the underlined words as indicated. the first one has been done for you:

Heighten(s) – verb Noun: height Adjective: high Adverb: __HIGHLYTHE __

Sensitivity – noun 1 Noun 2: __SENSE____ Verb: __SENSE___ Adjective 1:

__SENSITIVE !!!!!!!!!!!
Adjective 2: ___SENSIBLE__
pdlm-TRF- pg. 12
 Sight – noun Verb: __________________ Adjective 1: __________________ (= perceptive)
Scarcity – noun Adjective: __________________ Adverb: __________________

Propriety- noun (= decency, Adjective pos.: Adjective neg.: Adverb: __________________

modesty) __________________ __________________
Thirst – verb Noun: __________________ Adjective: __________________

4. List here the details (2 at least) about his friends’ behaviour during the holiday that Changez found
annoying:
 THE EASE WITH WHICH THEY PART WITH MONEY – AS IF IT WAS NOT IMPORTANT
 THEIR: SELF- RIGHTEOUSNESS
 THEY DO NOT HAVE REFINEMENT – IMPOLITE, RUDE, UNEDUCATED…..

5. SPEAKING: 2-minute research: work with a partner.

Student A will research
- who is the Mr. Palomar mentioned on p. 27 - What is his story with a naked bosom?
Student B will research:
- What does it mean – ch. 3- “a Wharton woman?”
- Who are Ghalib and Faiz mentioned on p. 43
After 5 minutes, present, speaking freely for at least 1 minute, the result of your research to your partner
and complete the grid below:
Mr. Palomar

Wharton woman Ghalib and Faiz

6. COMPREHENSION: Go on Quizziz: https://quizizz.com/join?gc=875109&source=liveDashboard and

answer the questions as indicated.

7. Write here your quote for these two chapters:

8. Now, start reading chapters 4-5 for next week. You have approximately 20 minutes.

pdlm-TRF- pg. 13
 CHAPTERS 4-5:
1. SELF-ASSESSMENT: individually, answer the following questions. You can use the
book. You have approximately 30 minutes.

a. Chapter 4 starts with the narrative of an accident: which one is it and why is it
relevant here, in your opinion? Write about 30 words to answer the question. (3
pts)

b. What time of the day is it? (1 pt)

c. Where does Erica leave? (1 pt)

d. What did Erica show Changez? (1 pt)

e. Briefly describe the picture of Pakistan that Erica’s father drew

during dinner. (2 pts)

f. What is haunting Erica? (1 pt)

g. What details show us that the American – in Lahore – is very

tense and nervous? (2 pts)

h. What did Changez attempt to do once in Manila? And why? (2

pts)

i. In Manila, Chagez got upset: (1 pt)

a. By the fact that his colleague was so American

b. by the hostility shown by a driver toward him
c. by the jetlag

j. Jim calls Changez “ a shark”. True or False? (1 pt)

k. Jim and Changerz both: (1 pt)

a. are very very happy in Manila.

b. loved expensive wine, they appreciated the fact that it was good.
c. had grown up outside the candy store, with a sense of longing.
Nathia Gallli, at the foothills of the Himalayas.
l. When he first watched the Twin Towers collapse, Changez: (1 pt)

s. smiled b. cried c. was disgusted

m. Briefly explain what happened at the airports for Changez’s flight back to New York. (2 pts)

Now, have a look at the answer key and correct the answers of your partner. Give him/her point out of _______/19 points

pdlm-TRF- pg. 14
 CHAPTER 6:
1. Divide the class into 4 groups – 20 minutes
Group A:
- Focus on the passages which are taking place in Pakistan:
Beginning ch. 6 till “I walked to the cemetery, sweating in the summer
sun.” (my book p. 89)
“But observe! A flower-seller approaches” till “so rare in New York, so
common here.” (my book p. 96)
“But I observe, sir, that you are watching me with a rather….” (last
paragraph) till end of chapter.

Study the passages and:

- Give one suitable title to the passages as a whole
- Invent and take a still which represents the passage
- Give details about the symbolism of JASMINE
- Tell how the tension is growing
Prepare 3-4 bullet points and be ready to present your discoveries to the class. You will have 2 minutes.

Group B:
- Focus on life back in New York from “New York was in mourning after the destruction of…” till “she
kissed me on the forehead before leaving.” (my book p. 96)

Study the passage and:

- Give a suitable title to the passage
- Relate about the story of Changez’s aunt
- Explain why Changez is feeling a “constant murmur of reproach”
- Invent and take a still which represents the passage
Prepare 3-4 bullet points and be ready to present your discoveries to the class. You will have 2 minutes.

Group C:
- Focus on the second night together between Erica and Changez “Where was I?” (my book p. 96) till
“what she dreamed of I did not know”.

Study the passage and:

- Give a suitable title to the passage
- Focus on the symbolism of SYMMETRY between life in Pakistan and in the USA and think about a
possible symmetry between the love for Erica and Changez’s love for America.
- Relate about the night life of Changez and Erica
- Invent and take a still which represents the passage
Prepare 3-4 bullet points and be ready to present your discoveries to the class. You will have 2 minutes.

Group D:
Create a timeline with the main event of Changez’s life in the USA. Try to give as many details as possible.
Be ready to present your timeline to the class. Then send it to the teacher to share with everybody. You will
have 2 minutes.

pdlm-TRF- pg. 15
Fill in the following chart with details given by your friends:
GROUP A - Lahore GROUP B - Back in New York

GROUP C – second night at Changez’s with Erica GROUP D- the timeline

2. Here are some words I want you to focus on. Go onto

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/ and write a definition
for them.

1 mourning
2 to sally forth
3 to linger (in the air)
4 albeit
5 shrimp
6 merely
7 nippy
8 we were sparring
9 boor

3. Write here the quote of the day. Mine is the following:

“Perhaps it is in our nature to recognize subconsciously the link between mortality and procreation – between, that is
to say, the finite and the infinite – and we are in fact driven by reminders of the one to seek out the other.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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pdlm-TRF- pg. 16
 CHAPTER 7:

1. SOME LANGUAGE WORK. To start with our analysis today, you are going to
a. Study for 2 minutes this list on quizlet: https://quizlet.com/_cdizwn?x=1qqt&i=fg961 then have a
quick warmer on quizlet live.
b. Without looking back to the book, complete the following passage with one word per gap.
Thus clad (= covered) in my armor __________ denial I was ___________
to focus – with continuing and noteworthy success – on ___________ job.
After the exceptional review I ___________ for my performance in the
Philippines, I ___________ become Jim’s fair-haired boy. He ___________
me another assignment on one of ___________ teams, this time valuing
an ailing cable operator. The firm ___________ based in New Jersey – to
___________ I began a daily commute – and had ___________ hit hard by
the decline in investor sentiment surrounding the technology sector in
general and small-scale broadband providers in particular; it
___________barely able to service its debts and ___________ become a
prime candidate for acquisition. (p. 108)

2. Answer the following questions:

a. How does Changez experience “the crumbling world” around him? Use quotes from the text.
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b. Read the quotes from the first 7 chapters of the book. What has changed? What is change?

“How much had changed in the four years since I had left Lahore!”

“How soon that would change.”

Jim: “Things always change.”… “A huge shift.”

“They try to resist change. Power comes from

becoming change.”

CHANGEZ

List here the changes that have occurred in Chagez’s life:

•
•
•
•
•
•
pdlm-TRF- pg. 17
 •
•

c. Portray Erica. How does the development of Erica and Changez’s relationship mirror Changez’s
attitude to the U.S.?
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3. Scan the FACT FILE Afghanistan here:

 the leading terrorists of the attacks of 9711 were members of alQaida
 Afghanistan was known to be the home base of this organization
 Americans wanted to overthrow the Taliban regime and dismantle al-Qaida
 they wanted to create a viable democratic state
 the war was seen as an act of collective self-defence provided for under Article 51 of the UN Charter
(Article 51 will be explained shortly by one of your colleagues in a 20-second presentation)

Write here a couple of words on Article 51 of the United Nations Charter:

https://legal.un.org/repertory/art51.shtml

4. FOCUS ON THE FUNDAMENTALS: “it mandated a single-minded attention to financial details…”.

What are your FUNDAMENTALS in life. Think about it for a couple of minutes and then write your
FUNDAMENTALS on mentimeter: https://www.menti.com/alztba9rzuc4

5. In groups of 3-4 people: Interpret what the author might have wanted to imply by naming Changez
after Genghis Khan. Then read the article on Genghis Khan – the universal ruler and add details to your
interpretation. Be ready to report back to the class.

pdlm-TRF- pg. 18
Read chapters 8 and 9 for next Monday. Complete the movie VS book facts sheet

pdlm-TRF- pg. 19
 CHAPTERS 8 AND 9: HOW TO WRITE A SUMMARY

1. WRITNG A SUMMARY OF 200 words. Here are five key steps that can help you to write a summary:
Individually, write a summary of chapters
8-9. You have 25 minutes. Then compare 1. Read the text
your summary with the one of your partner. 2. Break it down into sections
Make changes if necessary. You have ten 3. Identify the key points in each section
minutes for this. After 35 minutes, send 4. Write the summary
5. Check the summary against the article
your summary to the teacher on Teams on
Assignments (upload it) or give your piece
Writing a summary does not involve giving your opinion. You should
of paper to the teacher for correction.
simply provide an accurate account of the most important information
While writing you can listen to your music. and ideas (without copying any text from the original).
DO NOT USE TRANSLATORS, DO NOT
COPY FROM THE NET. THIS IS A
TRAINING PRCESS.

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2. When finished, combine the statements on the left with the matching passages from the novel on the
right.
A Erica – like America – changes after D “- but I knew even then that she was disappearing
the attacks. into a powerful nostalgia, one form which only she
could choose whether or not to return.”
B Changez starts realizing that a life E “…she was struggling against a current that pulled her
with Erica – in America – might not within herself, and her smile contained the fear that
be possible. she might slip into her own depths, where she would
be trapped, unable to breathe.”
C Erica – as well as America – begins to F “…it was, after all, a religion that would not accept me
seem strange to Changez as a convert.”

pdlm-TRF- pg. 20
 3. In pairs, briefly answer the following questions:
a. What has triggered Erica’s decline. Give 4 reasons.

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b. “America, too, was increasingly giving itself over to a dangerous nostalgia at that time.” Explain this
quote.

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c. The image of an island is often mentioned in the novel, as in the following quotations. Interpret their
significance.

pdlm-TRF- pg. 21
 d. Read through chapter 9 and collect the disadvantages caused by Changez’s decision to grow a beard as
well as hi motives for doing so.

DISADVANTAGES MOTIVES

4. SPEAKING IN GROUPS: work in groups of 3 people and create a dialogue between Erica and her
parents. They are discussing about whether Erica should end the relationship with Changez or not.
Work out each of the three positions clearly on the basis of what you know about their characters and
their attitude towards Changez. Present your dialogues in front of the class.

5. Write here the quote of your choice from chapters 8 and 9

6. Read chapters 10-11 for next Monday (December 5th ) and think about Chagez: hero or anti-hero?

pdlm-TRF- pg. 22
 CHAPTERS 10 AND 11:
PART A – comprehension questions
1. Divide the class into 2 big groups.
GROUP 1 30 minutes -10:15-10:45 Answer the questions below
GROUP 2 30 minutes with me – 10:15-10:45 Song and debate
Then swap – no break – we finish at 11:40 (instead of 45) // 10:45-11:15
TOGETHER: feedback and movie

Answer the following questions using your own words and finding examples in the text when needed.
a. Find reasons for Changez’s decision to quit his job. Complete the table finding at least 3 reasons for each
column.
PAKISTAN ERICA WORK SITUATION

b. Who is Juan-Bautista. Describe his relationship with Changez.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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c. Explain the following quote: “I saw that in this constant striving to realize a financial future, no thought was
given to the critical personal and political issues that affect one’s emotional present.”
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d. What is a janissary? And why does Juan-Bautista compare Changez to one of them?
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e. Let’s go further in the janissary’s comparison. Find words and expressions in the last 4 paragraphs of chapter
10 that refers to war or fights. Write them here, saying who used those words.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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f. What happened to Erica in your opinion?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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g. Why did Changez leave his jacket at the airport?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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pdlm-TRF- pg. 23
PART B – debate.
Divide the half class into two groups.
Let’s listen to the first part of this song about being an antihero. How does this relate to Changez’s story? Finding
support in the text, take a minute to THINK -PAIR – SHARE and let’s complete the bubble of ideas. (approximately
8 minutes)
 Now, debate this.
CHANGEZ IS CLEARLY THE ANTIHERO, A CRIMINAL BASICALLY.
Group 1 will be against the statement; group 2 will be pro statement.
You have 10 minutes to prepare an introduction and 2 supporting arguments to your position, use proof from the
book.
During the debate, I will be the moderator- everybody will have to speak. Try to be as convincing as possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1kbLwvqugk
HEREOS AND ANTIHEROES IN THE BOOK And life will lose all its meaning
(For the last time)
I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser
Midnights become my afternoons It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me (I'm the problem, it's
When my depression works the graveyard shift me)
All of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room At tea time, everybody agrees
I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror
I should not be left to my own devices
It must be exhausting, always rooting for the anti-hero
They come with prices and vices
I end up in crisis (tale as old as time) I have this dream my daughter in-law kills me for the
I wake up screaming from dreaming money
One day I'll watch as you're leaving She thinks I left them in the will
'Cause you got tired of my scheming The family gathers 'round and reads it and then someone
(For the last time) screams out
"She's laughing up at us from hell"
It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me
At tea time, everybody agrees It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me
I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me
It must be exhausting, always rooting for the anti-hero It's me, hi, everybody agrees, everybody agrees

Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby It's me, hi (hi), I'm the problem, it's me (I'm the problem,
And I'm a monster on the hill it's me)
Too big to hang out, slowly lurching toward your favorite At tea (tea) time (time), everybody agrees (everybody
city agrees)
Pierced through the heart, but never killed I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting, always rooting for the anti-hero
Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism
Like some kind of congressman? (Tale as old as time) Source: LyricFind
I wake up screaming from dreaming
Songwriters: Jack Michael Antonoff / Taylor Alison Swift
One day I'll watch as you're leaving

pdlm-TRF- pg. 24
 CHAPTER 12:

1. Look at these images. In which way are they related to the last chapter? In pairs, discuss.

Kurtz waiting for his Marlow

2. Go on JOINMYQUIZ for a quiz on The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

3. OPEN END: let’s discuss, as a class the open ending of the book.
Where else does Hamid use this technique? Did Changez get killed? Did he kill somebody? Why? Give
at least 2 elements. Lying: is Changez lying or telling the truth? Why?

4. Now imagine the real dialogue between the American and Changez in chapter 12. Write it down, act it
out.

pdlm-TRF- pg. 25
 POST READING ACTIVITIES

A. Think of an alternate
ending and write it down
(100 words)
B. You have seen the movie and
read the books. Which elements would you change / add
/ or keep the same in the movie? Why? Show your ideas
in an interview.
C. Erica is not dead. What will happen? Write a text of
200 words
D. Go on quizlet and revise the vocabulary:
https://quizlet.com/755779653/trf-chapters-1-to-7-flash-
cards/?new

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THE TEST:

Monday, 19th December 2022
The test will last 2 periods, no break
General comprehension questions including:
a. T/F
b. OPEN QUESTIONS
c. Multiple choice
d. Some vocab
A passage of the text to analyse:

pdlm-TRF- pg. 26
EXTRAS TO READ:
THE NARRATOR IN THE RELCUTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
DID YOU KNOW ?
In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, the reader takes the position of the
The Headless Horseman- in American folklore - is a fictional
silent American stranger who is never heard from. Since the entire character from the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy
novel takes the form of a dramatic monologue told by Changez, it Hollow" by American author Washington Irving. The story,
would seem that it might exclude the reader, but since Changez from Irving's collection of short stories titled The Sketch Book
of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., has worked itself into known
makes so many observations about his listener's reactions and American folklore/legend through literature and film, including
guesses his thoughts, the reader must not only deal with the the 1999 Tim Burton film Sleepy Hollow.[1]

character of Changez but also with the projection, or preemption, of

The legend of the Headless Horseman (also known as "the
him or herself that Hamid creates through Changez. Moreover, Headless Hessian of the Hollow") begins in Sleepy Hollow,
without any omniscient narrator, the reader is left with uncertainty New York, during the American Revolutionary War. Traditional
folklore holds that the Horseman was a Hessian trooper who
as to what the truth is in the story. was killed during the Battle of White Plains in 28th October
1776. He was decapitated by an American cannonball, and
From: https://www.gradesaver.com/the-reluctant- the shattered remains of his head were left on the battlefield
fundamentalist/study-guide/mohsin-hamids-narrative-technique while his comrades hastily carried his body away. Eventually,
they buried him in the cemetery of the Old Dutch Church of
Sleepy Hollow, from which he rises as a malevolent ghost,
furiously seeking his lost head and wielding a Jack-o'-Lantern
as a temporary replacement and/or weapon. Modern
versions of the story refer his rides to Halloween, around
which time the battle took place.

From : Wikipedia.com

pdlm-TRF- pg. 27
PLOT PYRAMID – THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST

pdlm-TRF- pg. 28
TIMELINE OF EVENTS

pdlm-TRF- pg. 29
pdlm-TRF- pg. 30
pdlm-TRF- pg. 31