Lacanian Psychoanalytical Study Of Changez: The Protagonist Of The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Abstract

This study seeks to offer a Lacanian psychoanalytical insights into Changez, the protagonist of novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. This study applies key concepts from Jacques Lacan’s theoretical framework exploring Changez’s psychological transformation through the lenses of the Imaginary Order, the Symbolic Order, and the Real Order, highlighting his shifting sense of identity in response to cultural displacement and ideological clash. Initially linked with the Symbolic order of American capitalist success, Changez gradually witnesses alienation from it that leads to rupture that exposes the instability of his Self. The study further investigates the role of desire, the gaze, and the “Other” in shaping his subjective Self, particularly in the view of post-9/11 socio-political scenario. The paper, through close textual reading, argues that Changez’s journey mirrors a struggle between conflicting identities and hidden desires, finally revealing the fragmented nature of the Self. The research highlights the relevance of Lacanian theory in understanding identity, power, and psychological conflict in current postcolonial literature