The Epistemology of Trauma and 9/11 Literature in Mohsin Hamid’s Novel: The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Abstract

9/11 is not merely a terrorist act; it has evolved into an origin that has been dormant in the western cultural capital accommodation for many generations. It ushers in a new era of victimised/other ‘Muslims’ and the cultural appropriation of an alienated spirit within the Islamic tradition. 9/11 calls into question, not the history, but the present, the future of an entire generation. Changez, the protagonist of Mohsin Hamid’s novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist, enjoys a peaceful life in the United States before the horrific events of 9/11. Everything changed for him and his fellow Eastern Muslims immigrants settling in America after the September 11 attack. They became subjects of ridicule and disgrace as Muslims were demonised and viewed as outsiders. In this sense, Muslims like Changez, who adore America, bears a heavy price. The plot centres on the protagonist’s past experiences, with occasional allusions to the present; he reconsiders and recalls all those exquisite and awful recollections from his scarred past. The research paper considers the conceptual framework of Cathy Caruth’s observations on trauma theory for this goal. It evaluates the novel within the context of traumatic knowledge and identifies the strategies and procedures the protagonist, Changez, deals with. It applies trauma narrative theory’s concepts to the style of presenting the protagonist’s experience.