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

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