Introduction
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and TheReluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid share common themes that explain human behavior and life. Hamid’s monologue documents Changez’s experience in American society, where he acquires education, employment, and finds love, culminating in his decision to return to Pakistan. Throughout the text, themes such as race and political relations are explained in varying ways, especially after the 9/11 attacks, when Changez’s perception of American society changes.
On the other hand, Cisneros’ novel narrates Cordero’s experiences amid her family’s struggle to experience a permanent home on Mango Street. Despite the newfound sense of independence in a home they now own, Cordero is unimpressed, vowing to leave one day and only return for those she loves.
Both of the books explore the human desire to find independence and a sense of belonging. However, the texts bear significant variations in how they describe independence, happiness, and other life events. Therefore, Cisnero’s and Hamid’s novels explain human experiences against the backdrop of race and social relations, with both novels doing so in varying capacities.
Social Status
Cordero’s and Changez’s stories communicate the importance of one’s social status in society. Changez and Erica attended art galleries and interacted with the wealthy class in Manhattan because both were seemingly from well-to-do families. Changez propounds that his Underwood Samson business card and Princeton degree “were invariably sufficient to earn me a respectful nod of approval” (Hamid 85). His wealthy status allows him to leave America and return home after political relations changed his perception of success. Changez and Erica lived the American Dream, a life that Cordero and her family only saw on television.
Unlike Changez, who blends into affluent American society, Cordero is confronted by scarcity, as the house on Mango Street is the one they own and do not have to pay rent (Cisneros 3). Even other characters from both books show the role of social status in one’s friend choices. Whereas Changez’s acquaintances are wealthy, Cordero’s friends struggle to acquire life’s basic needs. The family’s constant relocation from one house to another is a sign of struggle. Thus, both books foreground the role that social status plays in selecting one’s neighbors, friends, or professional partners.
Racial Profiling
Moreover, both books reveal the enormity of racial profiling in the US. Most racial profiling cases stem from a lack of understanding of other cultures. Cordero recounts the amusing pronunciations of her name in school, suggesting that the Spanish connotation is much softer (Cisneros 11). The unusual pronunciations may have led to bullying or stereotyping, as her culture was unfamiliar to most of her schoolmates.
On the other hand, The Reluctant Fundamentalist also documents myriad examples of impaired race relations. After the 9/11 attacks, American attitudes towards Pakistanis and Muslims changed to suggest that most Muslims are terrorists because they share a religion with the World Trade Center bombers. The shifting attitudes towards the Islamic nation also affect Changez, as the novel shows how impressed he is with the terrorist attack.
Hamid posits that the tributes offered to the deceased after the attack reminded Changez of his inhumane response to the tragedy (79). The photos, flowers, and other items that foregrounded the terror meant nothing to him, and he sometimes questioned his lack of remorse. Hence, both books reveal impaired race relations that destroy humanity in the US.
Relationships
Both novels allude to the importance of relationships. In The House on Mango Street, Cordero asserts that she desires a friend to whom she can “tell my secrets to. One who will understand my jokes without my having to explain” (Cisneros 9).
The statement comes after she attempts to befriend Nenny, but she considers her too young to form a romantic relationship. The struggle of acculturation also barred Cordero from finding friends with whom she shares common ground, a struggle shared by many people of Spanish descent living in the US. In the end, she befriends Nenny because she learns that Nenny is now her responsibility.
On the other hand, Changez manages to initiate an intimate relationship with Erica, a fellow Princeton graduate. Unlike Cordero, Changez finds a friend who boasts the same level of education and financial independence and who invites him to events only reserved for the rich (Hamid 85). In such settings, both parties can understand each other’s jokes, professions, and lifeways, as they share similar institutions and social status. Thus, both texts communicate the essence of relationships, especially in a foreign culture that one attempts to navigate.
Opportunity and Privilege
Additionally, TheReluctant Fundamentalist and The House on Mango Street depict the importance of opportunity and privilege in life. In the “Our Good Day” chapter, Cordero and the other young girls contribute to securing a bicycle to ride up and down Mango Street (Cisneros 15). The girls successfully purchase the bicycle, and as they ride down the street, the reader envisions their happiness through their reactions to passersby.
The girls’ happiness shows the rarity of such luxuries in that neighborhood. All girls were raised in low-income families and had limited toys to play with or enjoyable hobbies that guaranteed happiness. In this case, the story underscores the importance of privilege and its influence on one’s happiness and life success.
Changez is privileged, as he is wealthy and can afford to live a good life in Manhattan, one of the US’s most expensive regions (Hamid 185). Through this opportunity, Changez secures a job at a prestigious firm with attractive remuneration and benefits. Therefore, the books highlight the significant gap that separates fortunate individuals from those struggling to meet life’s basic needs.
Transformation
The novels reveal how moments of realization lead to life-transforming change. The US and Pakistan’s flawed relations compelled Changez to experience an epiphany, eventually resorting to leave New York. Changez’s budding professional life in the US did not bar him from reacting to the growing post-9/11 disdain for Islamic nations. Changez later rejects the American Dream to return to Pakistan.
In The House on Mango Street, the struggle of acculturation and blending in society is palpable in the book’s first chapters. For instance, Cordero encounters obstacles while attempting to form friendships, as boys and girls live in separate worlds (Cisneros 8). However, the unfolding of events prompts the narrator to conform to society even though she has very little in common with others at school or home, such as an English-sounding name.
As the story progresses, Cordero navigates everyday life events in the company of friends and has blended into American society despite her background. The main difference in the novels is that Changez leaves while Cordero manages to stay. Thus, both novels demonstrate how life’s events can compel people to recognize the need for change.
Emotional Judgment
The texts show how emotions and impulses can impair human judgment and understanding. In TheReluctant Fundamentalist, Changez is unconcerned about the 9/11 terrorists’ identities but quickly judges Americans for accusing his people of atrocities. Changez celebrates the attack to “punish” Americans for hating his people without probing the events. He hates the society that accorded him a proper education and a life that very few Pakistanis could afford at the time.
On the other hand, Cordero’s society is mired in judgments and stereotypes against certain races and social classes. For instance, the text shows how one lady is shocked by Cordero’s house and has to ask twice to ensure that it is not a mistake (Cisneros 5). Both books reveal how ignorance leads to uninformed decisions and eliminates the possibility of good relations.
If Changez had understood that his fellow citizens could commit crimes, he might have been more lenient towards the American society that shaped him into a successful professional. If Cordero’s society empathized with struggling races, there would be no cases of name-calling or stereotyping. Therefore, both books demonstrate how inherent emotions and attitudes hinder proper understanding.
Interpersonal Skills
In both books, readers learn the importance of interpersonal skills in life. Changez engages in a prolonged dialogue with the American he meets at the café, recounting his time in Manhattan. Whether loneliness or curiosity prompted him to initiate the conversation, he desired to connect with the fellow, to understand his ideas, opinions, and suchlike. In the case of Cordero, dialogue is part of life as she confronts friends like Lucy or the black man at the junk store, who hardly talks. Through the art of communication and interpersonal skills, the reader comes to understand new characters and their contributions to the book’s central ideas.
However, the significant difference between Changez’s and Cordero’s interpersonal skills is that the former is on a professional scale, whereas the latter engages in playful conversations with friends. For example, Cordero playfully corrects her friend on the use of the pronoun “she” when they negotiate to purchase a bicycle (Cisneros 15). In the same chapter, readers can observe how interpersonal reactions contribute to happiness. Therefore, both novels highlight the significant role that interpersonal skills play in fostering relationships and promoting understanding of others.
Belonging
Furthermore, both novels highlight the human desire for belonging, albeit in varying degrees. Cordero’s family’s struggle to find a permanent home facilitated their movement from house to house and across neighborhoods before finally settling on Mango Street, where they no longer had a landlord to deal with. The narrator recounts living in Loomis, Paulina, and Keeler before their current house (Cisneros 3). Despite the incessant relocations, she was not content with the state of life in all of their houses and neighborhoods. Cordero envisions an independent life, “With my porch and my pillow, my pretty purple petunias,” and away from the struggles of Mango Street (Cisneros 108).
On the other hand, Changez’s life in Manhattan fails to suffice, as he desires to belong to people with whom he shares struggles. The main difference between the characters’ pursuits of belonging is that, whereas Cordero desires a better home, preferably in the US, Changez discovers this belonging in his home region. Moreover, his quest eventually manifests, while Cordero still dreams of a life of contentment. Thus, both novels reveal the human desire for independence and a sense of belonging.
Reasons Behind Conflicts
It is important to note that both novels expose the causes of bad human relations. In TheReluctant Fundamentalist, the author cites the 9/11 attacks as the cause of impaired relations between the US and Pakistan. Americans exhibited great patriotism, which was evident in the depictions of American flags that angered Changez after his nation began to face persecution (Hamid 79). The US population considered Pakistan a common enemy to hate for the deaths of people and the destruction of property. The persecution of Pakistan damaged Changez’s relationship with America- the nation that established him professionally was now a formidable enemy.
On the other hand, Cordero’s narration illustrates how a lack of understanding or disgust for other cultures can lead to strained relations. Cordero describes how an older boy grabs her, wanting to abuse her while referring to her as a “Spanish girl” (Cisneros 100). This incident may reveal to readers the problems that minorities faced during that time. If all characters in both novels were to learn and understand each other’s lives, there would be a sense of harmony, peace, and love in both tales.
Conclusion
Overall, TheReluctant Fundamentalist and The House on Mango Street are informative texts that offer insights into human relations. In both novels, the issue of social status is prevalent as both characters’ social well-being determines who they meet, where they stay, and their future. For Changez, his family affords him a decent education at Princeton, and he eventually acquires a job with attractive remuneration. Conversely, Cordero describes her family’s struggle to live in a decent home, further expressing her desire to pursue an independent life.
In both books, human emotions, prejudices, and judgments affect relations in varying ways. Changez’s displeasure with American attitudes after the attack bars him from understanding that some of his fellow citizens are terrorists. Instead, he overtly displays his lack of remorse for the 9/11 victims. However, Cordero’s circumstances are uncontrollable because she is young and poor, whereas Changez navigates his experiences as a wealthy and well-informed adult who can make decisions. Therefore, Hamid’s and Cisneros’ novels scrutinize human behavior, prejudices, and the effects of social class in the US.
Works Cited
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Arte Publico Press. 1983.
Hamid, Mohsin. The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Hamlish Hamilton, 2007.