Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Do you think if Changez stayed in America, and hadn't quit his job, he would have completely become the American persona that he is now beginning to hate? 

15 comments:

  1. I think that Changez would have become a lot more Americanized, but not completely American. When he was going to Princeton and living in New York City, he started to become accustomed to all things American. He was still very Pakistani, but when he went home to visit he thought everything looked kind of run down compared to the United States. Overall, I think that Changez would become very American but still maintain his Pakistani values that are so prominent in the book.

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  2. I agree that he did still have Pakistani values, but there was nothing in America to tie him to those values. Besides the Pakistani deli, no one in New York understood his culture and kept him with those values. I just think without any roots he eventually would have put it completely behind him. Your hometown roots can only last so long.

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  3. Laura, I agree with what you said about Changez not having anything in America to tie down his Pakistani values. He was so honest about his culture and how he felt about certain things. I think that is what made me set him so far apart from Americans. I think that if Changez had stayed in the U.S. longer that he would have become mostly American, but I still feel like he would maintain a strand of Pakistani that would set him apart from the average American.

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  4. No, I don't think he would have become that typical American figure. Like I've said in previous posts, he will and always will be Pakistani and he embraces it. Much of his culture he doesn't choose to surpress which I think shows the importance of what he's become because of it. Just like Julie said, he will never be just an average American. Unless he has a complete change of worlds and loses all he is. He never will be.

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  5. I agree with you Margaret. Changez is a true Pakistani, and a lot would have to happen for him to change so drastically. As I said before, he defiantly became very attuned and accustomed to American culture, but would never for get his Pakistani roots. For example, Changez was in New Jersey for work and the people came up to him and started swearing at him because of his race. When that happened Changez got very angry and wanted revenge on America. That shows that he could never really be a typical American. He also laughs when he hears the World Trade Centers were hit.

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  6. I think that maybe if the 9/11 attacks hadn't occurred, and Changez had stayed in the US, he definitely would have turned into the stereotypical/average American. It seems to me that he was actually pretty close to this point for a while. However, after the War on Terror began, leading to a lot of racism in the United States towards those of Middle Eastern and Asian descent, the feelings of Nationalism that sprung up in Changez would have kept the Pakistani spirit in him alive, regardless of where he was living. In a way, I think the attacks actually really helped Changez come to terms with his values, and they made him realize Pakistan held a higher place in his heart than the US.

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  7. I see where you are coming from Maya, but I don't know if Changez would have allowed himself to become Americanized. If it had gotten to that point, he would have been very disappointed in himself. I feel like the War on Terror helped him realize that he liked Pakistan better. I can't imagine him living in the U.S. for a long period of time. He was really unhappy there before he moved back to Pakistan. It just seemed like he felt more comfortable in Pakistan than the U.S.

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  8. I'm not sure if I agree with you, Julie. To me it seemed like he'd gotten into a sort of pattern with his job and his life that he really enjoyed, and he was happy just staying in NYC the rest of his life. Obviously though, the terrorist changed this, and made him realize that he wanted to go back to Pakistan, but I'm hesitant to believe that he would have made this decision if he hadn't experienced the racism and hatred towards Pakistanis in the US.

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  9. I don't think Changez could ever really become American. From what I have observed the only reason Changez is part of the American society is because of Erica and Underwood Samson. Without these things he would have no reason to stay. I agree with Maya when she says the the 9/11 attacks changed Changez's American experience forever. Maybe if this drastic event hadn't occured he could have stayed in America. But I don't think he could ever really become a 'true' American. His love for his country is too strong!

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  10. I don't think he would've allowed himself to become Amercanized. I feel like he will always have his roots in Lahore and judging by his personality traits, he would never forget that. Maybe, yes Maya, if the 9/11 attacks wouldn't have happened, he might have stayed. But I think either something else would have driven him away or he would live an unhappier life than he would if he were in Lahore.

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  11. I don't think that Changez could have been Americanized. The prejudice Americans would look at him and simply not allow it. I think that its terrible that our country is like this, but unfortunately it's a fact. However, I also agree with others when they say that Changez wouldn't want to become like an American. I think that being true to yourself is something that Changez really took to heart.

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  12. I think Michaela makes a good point with what she said about Americans not allowing Changez to to be completely adapted into their culture. But I agree with Maya that if that was not standing in his way, Changez simply doesn't have the self-will to stand against an entire country that is convincing him to become American. We've had the melting pot mantra for so long that many culture have become crushed this way, and I don't think one man can change that.

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  13. I see what you guys are saying about how in his heart he was always Pakistani, regardless of where he was in the world, but I feel like that part of him was slowly decaying up until 9/11. I still think that if he'd stayed in the US and in New York, possibly with Erica or some other woman, he would've eventually lost touch with that part of him, since there was nothing/no one there for the Pakistani part of him in America to hold on to

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  14. Maya, like other people are saying, I don't think he would have ever really become American. Whether its the fact the American citizens can't except him or the fact that he is too strongly connected to Pakistan, there are too many obstacles in his way. I think even if the 9/11 attacks hadn't occured something would have sent him back to Pakistan.

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  15. That's interesting that you think he would go back to Pakistan. Is it just because his emotional ties are so strong there? I don't know. I think Changez eventually would have met another American girl, kept on at his firm, and built a nice, normal American family if 9/11 hadn't happened.

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