Fundamentalism is a strict adherence to a set of ideas or beliefs that are conservative in nature. It is a pejorative term usually associated with religious fanaticism. This is usually what comes to mind when talking about a fundamentalist. However, in Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist, starring Changez, a Pakistani man from Princeton who works as a high-level employee at a prestigious New York appraisal firm, he turns out not to be an Islamic fundamentalist, but a reluctant fundamentalist of US capitalism . Hamid challenges readers to reevaluate their preconceived notions and prejudices against people different from them in post-9/11 America, employing the use of motifs, aphorisms, and suspense, to create a fusion of corporate culture and violence in the form of a allegorical plot. . This story is not only relevant in historical contexts relating to the United States and its involvement in past wars, but also in contemporary contexts, such as in current ongoing wars. Simply put, history repeats itself. The story takes place over the course of a day, as Changez approaches an American in the Old Anarkali neighborhood of Lahore, Pakistan. He invites the American to have tea with him, which eventually leads to dinner and continues late into the evening as he recounts the events in his life that led to their fateful meeting. The story is told in second person, meaning the American's voice is never heard, but his reactions are implied and guided by Changez. In this way, the audience plays an interactive role in the story, allowing the reader to identify with both sides and make judgments about the outcome of the story. The author constantly plays with the idea... in the center of the paper... by the hand. But why are you putting your hand in your jacket, sir? I detect a glint of metal. Since you and I are now bound by a certain shared intimacy, I trust that he is the holder of your business cards” (Hamid 184). And with that, the author leaves us with a cliffhanger, so that we can determine the ending however I see fit. Hamid made it clear that ideas and truths are all relative, that people should actively seek answers, instead of believing everything they are told. His characters allowed us to exercise our intuitions in search of hidden truths and, above all, to reclaim ourselves with the elusive common sense. The aphorism, which focuses on the fundamentals, is accentuated even further by the suspenseful ending and challenges us to reflect on the wisdom of the story as we consider whether or not the fully bearded Changez has become another kind of fundamentalist..