Stereotypes In The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a film that redefines views on stereotypes and is regarded as a controversial film. It begins with the protagonist named Changez, who is constantly regarded as a terrorist following the 9/11 attacks. The movie shows this incident from Changez’s point of view, who is revealed to have some controversial opinions throughout. The movie does warn of stereotypes, but from another perspective, and this can completely blow apart beliefs and redefine the west’s view on the Muslim religion, and at the same time subtly exploring western culture through the characters, settings and more.

In this film, there is a subtle portrayal of the western culture, but as we are atoned to perceiving these things as the standard, we don’t realise it. Throughout the movie, Changez is met with a lot of friends who have lived in America for a majority

There are plenty of demonstrations of this stereotype throughout the film, one obviously being the radicalist man who threatens to bomb houses and destroy lives. Then there’s Changez, an obvious differential character who portrays something much different to the Muslim stereotype, although as the film goes on, he begins to change and change until he finally accepts what he’s been classed as and follows through with it. There is a scene in the film which portrays this, when both the radicalist man and Changez meet outside his office building. The radicalist man threatens to bomb houses and to destroy lives, continually referring to Changez as his so-called ‘brother’. Changez is unhappy about this man, and is evidently uncomfortable during this. After the man is done yelling, he runs away into the subway and doesn’t return. However, later on in this scene Changez is arrested for a public disturbance that he didn’t