Mohsin Hamid's "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" is an intriguing story of questionable identities and betrayal. The protagonist, Changez, finds himself in a tea house in Lahore, Pakistan, where he is engaged in a long monologue describing the journey of his life, in the company of an American stranger. Readers are introduced to the exciting and fascinating life of the young Pakistani man, but are also in a position to observe how Changez's actions and choices are, to some extent, influenced by the protagonist's relationship with Erica. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the initial part of the story, Changez is seen as a very successful individual, graduating "summa cum laude" from the prestigious Princeton University, and being employed as an analyst at Underwood Samson, one of the top valuation firms in New York. Furthermore, during his vacation in Greece, he meets Erica, an "extraordinarily regal" girl who comes from a "rich" family and seems to impose a "magnetism" on Changez. At this early stage of the novel, Hamid allows readers to imagine Changez's apparent realization of the American dream, while also drawing on the positive impact the "lioness" has on the protagonist, as her social life develops strongly, as As a result of Erica's constant invitations to various events, while her performance at work is better than ever, Changez ranked first among all rookie analysts in the company. However, the protagonist soon discovers that, despite Erica's magnetism and "charming" personality, "something in her eyes (is) broken." At this point, readers can sense that Changez begins to worry about Erica's situation. However, her worry has yet to have a negative impact on her life, and despite her being "lost in a world of her own", the two still manage to sustain their relationship. Apart from the fact that Changez is 'ashamed', not even the fact that the protagonist has to pretend to be Chris to satisfy Erica shakes their relationship, and does not have a strong impact on the two lovers. However, the unquantifiable tragedy of September 11th takes both lovers by surprise and plays the role of catalyst for the decline of both Changez and Erica. The collapse of the World Trade Center is seen by readers as a major turning point in history. The life of Changez, who suddenly finds himself in a new and unknown environment. He is subjected to racial discrimination at airports in Manila and New York and is verbally abused on the train and in the New Jersey company parking lot. Additionally, Hamid positions readers to observe Erica's mental breakdown, which appears to be caused primarily by the theme of death present in New York at the time. Her collapse is obvious to readers, as she is very frail and fragile, and nostalgia seems to have taken over her life. As a result, his relationship with Changez slowly deteriorates, and contributes to the protagonist's frustration and self-sacrifice, and perhaps adds to the list of countless reasons why he decides to take a trip to Lahore. When he returns, however, he finds Erica living in a clinic, on the verge of psychological collapse, and Hamid underlines, through Changez's words, that "it hurts" to see her so "detached" from the real world. At this point, readers sense that Changez is greatly affected by his broken relationship with Erica, as he feels he has lost her. With these thoughts in mind, he travels to Valparaiso for the purpose of a work assignment, but when he returns, and subsequently loses his job at Underwood Samson, he is told that "Erica.