Reclaiming the Gaze: Islamophobia and Resistance in The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Home Fire

This article examines the resurgence of right-wing nationalism and the
accompanying rise in Islamophobia and xenophobic sentiment through the lens
of contemporary postcolonial literature. It argues that novels such as Mohsin
Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) and Kamila Shamsie’s Home Fire (2017)
not only reflect these realities but also actively resist and subvert dominant
narratives shaped by the Western gaze. In the context of an increasingly surveilled
and suspicious world, where Muslim bodies are targeted and racialised, these
novels offer a nuanced portrayal of the personal and collective impact of rising
nationalism. Through the use of narrative ambiguity, character agency, and the
reconfiguration of classical forms, both texts humanise the Muslim experience in
the face of systemic discrimination. The article explores how Hamid and Shamsie
reclaim the narrative by positioning their characters as agents of resistance rather
than passive victims. By foregrounding the human cost of xenophobia,
Islamophobia, and political disenfranchisement, the article contends that
postcolonial literature serves as a space for radical reimagining and healing. This
analysis contributes to ongoing conversations about literature's role in subverting
the colonial gaze and its capacity to resist the rising forces of xenophobia and
nationalism globally.