"Focus on the fundamentals." A line that probably stood out to most of us in this film, as said by Jim to his employees at Underwood Samson. But what are these fundamentals and how do they play out in practice? For the company, the fundamentals are doing what is best for the business; for the al-Qaeda it is to spread the truth of the Koran. And for Changez, his fundamentals are crossed. On his Pakistani side, family values are his fundamentals, however as he transitions into a "New York-er, " his fundamentals alter to doing what he must to succeed and become prosperous in his life. He does not want his American friends to know that he is not the wealthy "prince-like" man that he carries himself to be. However, towards the end of the film we see that Changez is reluctant towards changing his fundamentals. As he is mourning his loss of love with Erica, his decision to quit the firm and return home to Pakistan, he is plagued by the realization that his fundamentals must now change. I think that the film makes this concept of fundamentalism much easier to grasp that one would just from the book.

As far as other differences in the book go, the one most notable of course is the romance between Erica and Changez. He does not meet her the same way he does in the book, nor does she have the same job as in the book. However, I do not think that these changes reduce the likableness of the film. In fact, I liked the film a lot more because of these differences. The film, being a Hollywood production, is very in your face. It sucks you in and gives you reason to keep watching. While I do not think that the book was bad, I feel that it was much harder to get absorbed in. The film breathed a new life into the characters and even though it added details that the book clearly did not have, it added to the understanding of who these people are.

What I found most interesting is how the events of 9/11 have caused such a drastic change in Changez. Here we have this young man who has come to America, fallen in love with it and firmly grasped every piece of New York that he could and then poof, it has changed. He begins to question the way he sees things and how he acts. He lets his beard grow out because it reminds him of where he comes from. It is interesting because it had seemed that he was so quick to leave Pakistan behind but now, despite his horrible treatment after 9/11 he is not willing to undermine who he truly is. In terms of diaspora, how difficult it must be to come to place seeking a better life than the one you have, and then realize that you must go back to that old life. I could not imagine what it would be like to go back to a place like Pakistan knowing what I know about the opportunity in America. I think when it comes down to it, people leave where they are from because they feel that they have to, but that does not change what place they will always, eventually return to.