Cocaine For Changez Chapter Summaries
It can be good –Changez remembers his time in America fondly, despite his negative attitude to their foreign policy. It soothes the pain for the former Pakistani elite. ( with consquences). It can ease the pain of loss- Changez longs for American shrimp. He recalls the beauty of the American nation-the Empire State Building, New York at night. We all know the pleasure of looking at a childhood photo or hearing a song from our past. Yet for Erica, it is unhealthy. It consumes her from inside until she presumably takes her own life. By the novel’s end, it is driving America into a future of unsustainable consequences. It is also a form of ‘cocaine’ for Changez’s family-unable to deal with their new world. Nostalgia can numb the pain but also
be destructive. Changez questions whether the remembering is real or justified eg was Chris so good? Was pre 9/11 so good? Or is the country regressing to a time before the national sense of security was destroyed. Nostalgi can turn people to drugs, alcohol, suicide, violence towards others. So it must be handled with care.
A sample conclusion:
Even though Changez makes America his home for a time, when it comes down to it, his loyalty belongs to Pakistan. Changez’s conversation with Juan-Bautista makes him realize that, by participating in the world of American finance, he has become like a janissary. He is fighting against his own homeland, only his uniform is a suit rather than battle fatigues. Through the course of the story, Changez learns he cannot morally be a ‘dual citizen’ of America and Pakistan. Moreover, he cannot remain an Underwood Samson “fundamentalist” and transfer his loyalty to America; he must become an “ex-janissary” and return to the land of his birth to fight for its power and independence.
be destructive. Changez questions whether the remembering is real or justified eg was Chris so good? Was pre 9/11 so good? Or is the country regressing to a time before the national sense of security was destroyed. Nostalgi can turn people to drugs, alcohol, suicide, violence towards others. So it must be handled with care.
A sample conclusion:
Even though Changez makes America his home for a time, when it comes down to it, his loyalty belongs to Pakistan. Changez’s conversation with Juan-Bautista makes him realize that, by participating in the world of American finance, he has become like a janissary. He is fighting against his own homeland, only his uniform is a suit rather than battle fatigues. Through the course of the story, Changez learns he cannot morally be a ‘dual citizen’ of America and Pakistan. Moreover, he cannot remain an Underwood Samson “fundamentalist” and transfer his loyalty to America; he must become an “ex-janissary” and return to the land of his birth to fight for its power and independence.