The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Write What Happens”

In this shared writing activity, students contend with the novel’s ambiguity, imagining what happens next in the alley.

Part A

The novel ends with Changez, the narrator, saying, “But why are you reaching into your jacket, sir? I detect a glint of metal. Given that you and I are now bound by a certain shared intimacy, I trust it is from the holder of your business cards.” (Chapter 12)

Break into small groups and think about what’s going to happen next. Using a shared sheet of paper, one person should write a sentence continuing Changez’s narration, passing it to the next person in the group when they’re done. That person should then write a second sentence, building off of the first.

Continue taking turns writing sentences for fifteen minutes, or a period of time designated by your teacher. Regardless of what happens in your narrative, you must continue the story, whether it shifts perspectives or stays with Changez.

Part B

Now, imagine it is one year later and you are the American stranger telling someone the story of your encounter with Changez.