Introduction
Apart from the aesthetic value that literary works bequeath humankind, they are of great importance since they help in socio-cultural construction and analysis. The novels, The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Pariah exemplify this reality.
Question 1: Analysing How the Concept of Intersectional Identity Is At Work
One of the socio-cultural themes that have been explored in the two novels The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Pariah is that of intersectional identity. Intersectional personality refers to an overlap of fusion of intersections of biological, cultural, social, political or economic categories in an individual. In most cases, these categories may involve sexual orientation, class, ability, gender, race, caste and even identity. In both films, the concept of intersectionality is manifest in at least two characters.
In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Changez Khan comes out strongly as an intersectional person. This is seen in the fact that Changez is a Pakistani living and studying in the United States. This quality brings out the issue of race since Changez is in America, an environment that is predominantly white. The fact that Changez is Pakistani and this brings out the aspect of being an immigrant.
The reality of race is amplified in the person of Changez when he stops shaving to identify with his fellow Pakistanis while in America. Since Changez does this against the backdrop of the September 11th Attacks, he is easily misunderstood and made an object of suspicion.
The reality of the rough and tumble that characterises the life of an immigrant is emphasised at the time in which his visa nears expiry, yet he does not have a job. The predicament of the immigrant (especially on from the Middle East) is amplified in the instance in which he is stripped down for a body search at the airport in New York. At times, the aspect of intersection in personality greatly overlaps in the person of Changez. For instance, his state of joblessness underscores both the plight of the immigrant in the US and the plight of the unemployed in America (Hamid & Boghani, 22).
The fact that that intersectional identity is more profound in Changez than anyone else in The Reluctant Fundamentalist may be informed by him being the very mouthpiece, tool and agent of the narrator’s mind as the chief protagonist.
Conversely, Erica also serves as an intersectional identity. The intersectionality in Erica is more psychosexual. In her psyche, she is still emotionally involved with her late boyfriend Chris while she is also in love with Changez. It is for this reason that Changez manages to convince her to fantasise with Chris while she is having sex with Changez. Similarly, Erica is still in love with and mourning over Chris, a deceased American and Changez, a Pakistani. It is for this reason that her relationship with Changez does not survive the test of time.
In Pariah, Laura brings out the intersectional identity. This is because, Laura is well-known lesbian. The fact that Laura is living in a socio-culturally conservative environment brings her to the crosshairs of Audrey and Alike’s antagonism. Her friendship and reconciliation with Alike put Alike and her mother Audrey asunder. In the person of Laura, one can see the discriminatory tendencies that the cultural mainstream metes out on the homosexual community. Audrey loathes Laura and Alike’s friendship and prefers that Alike befriends Bina.
Question 2: Discussions on three scenes in Pariah
There are points or scenes of concern and great importance in Pariah. One of the scenes that are of importance for discussion is the instance where Audrey disapproves of Alike’s friendship with Laura and Alike’s way of dressing. At the heart of the matter is that Alike had begun wearing male underwear and baggy clothes. This is because she had begun accepting the idea that she was a butch lesbian. She was also getting increasingly friendlier to Laura who had been being reputed in the society as a lesbian.
Audrey becomes suspicious of this development and compels Alike to feminine garments. Audrey also compels Alike to drop her friendship with Laura, for Bina, a perceived devout church girl. This scene is important since it shows the perception that the mainstream society has towards same-sex relations. In fact, the matter is so divisive that it pits mother and daughter asunder. The crux of the matter herein is that the reality of sexual orientation (particularly, same-sex relations) is so fundamental that it disassociates a child (Alike) and its mother (Audrey) from each other (Rees, 66).
Another interesting scene is the instance in which Alike comes from a rock band to be alone with Bina. Bina starts kissing and caressing her so much so that she yields to Bina’s overture. This part is important since it lets the audience for itself, who the characters are. Bina is known as a devout church girl but at this point, she is revealed as a closeted lesbian. Again, the scene is important since it is the point in which Alike gets her first lesbian experience. This experience prepares Alike for her existential moment so that she becomes an existential protagonist.
Specifically, it is at this point immediately above that Alike convinces herself that she is a lesbian and begins to think about her future. This is why she brings up the future of their relationship with Bina, immediately they wake up the next morning. The fights between her parents Audrey and Arthur, Audrey’s hostility towards her and the time she has spent with Laura are the factors that compel and solidify her decision to leave the family so that she can pursue her own life (Rees, 74).
The third scenario that is of great interest is when Audrey and Arthur have a vicious fight over Alike. Alike’s sister, Sharonda tries to separate them but in vain. Alike also tries to intervene but Audrey, disgusted by Alike, viciously descends on her as Arthur tries to stop her. This situation compels Alike to rush to Laura’s house for refuge. She spends her night in Laura’s house. This scene is of great import since it acquaints the audience with the fundamental importance of lesbianism or sexual orientation. The issue of Alike’s sexuality has the potency to divide even the most intimate relations such as that of husband (Arthur) and wife (Audrey).
It is at this point that Alike and Laura reconcile. This scene is important because it is Alike’s existential moment. She makes her decision at this point to leave her family and go to pursue her life and further studies. The pretentious stance that Audrey takes after the fight to downplay what had happened and Arthur’s halfhearted reassurance to Alike that there would be no more family fights solidify Alike’s conviction that she should move on to pursue with her life.
The crux of the matter immediately above is that the author uses the scene to advance the idea that more often than not, the choices that an individual makes are a culmination of many antecedent and triggering factors. Thus, when Alike chooses her sexual orientation and life, her decision is informed by both antecedent and triggering factors and not logical arbitrariness.
Works Cited
Hamid, Mohsin & Boghani, Ami. The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Doha: Doha Film Institute. Electronic
Rees, Dee. Pariah. Los Angeles: Focus Features. Electronic
