Moratorium or Achievement: Identity Statuses in Mohsin Hamids The Reluctant Fundamentalist
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Abstract
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) traces the evolution of Changez’s sense of belonging by encompassing a substantial part of his life odyssey, ranging from his movement to the US for higher studies to his disillusionment and redirection of fundamental desires. This study explores those transformative stages that help shape his identity. For this purpose, James Marcia’s theory of identity achievement has been used as a theoretical framework. Marcia (1980) contends that certain situations and events (called ‘crises’) act as catalysts to prompt identity moratorium. The internal conflict caused by such catalysts stimulates adolescents to probe into their beliefs, goals and values. Changez also encounters the four statuses described by Marcia i.e., identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium and final achievement. Consequently, a refraction in his sense of belonging takes place from love for American exceptionalism to love for Pakistan and Islam (Morey, 2011). This study evaluates the level of identity achievement in Changez as a result of this refraction.