Representation of Pakistani Identity in Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist: A Corpus-Assisted Discourse Study

Abstract

This study explored the representation of Pakistani identity in Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist employing corpus-based approach. Nuance portrayal of Pakistani identity was investigated utilizing selected terms Pakistan, Lahore, Muslim, Urdu and beard and their variations. Drawing on frequency, collocations, concordance lines, and semantic domains, the analysis revealed the interconnected roles of language, religion, and cultural pride in shaping the identity. The analysis of the selected terms highlighted the central themes such as cultural heritage, linguistic pride, diasporic experiences. Lahore emerged as symbol of nostalgia and cultural authenticity while Muslim and beard evoke the protagonist’s encounters with religious identity and Western stereotyping. Similarly, the use of Urdu signified linguistic and cultural roots, emphasizing his efforts to resist marginalization while affirming his connection to Pakistan. Analysis of these patterns uncovered the text’s layered critique of global power dynamics and its portrayal of Pakistan as a site of complexity, resilience, and dignity. Semantic domain analysis further organized these findings into overarching categories such as national and cultural pride, stereotyping and discrimination, resistance and protest, and personal and communal identity. Methodologically, this research underscores the significance of corpus linguistics in literary analysis, even in the context of a single literary text. By treating The Reluctant Fundamentalist as a "micro-corpus," this study leveraged data-driven tools such as concordance and collocation analysis to extract systematic insights into linguistic and thematic patterns. The empirical rigor of corpus linguistics allowed for a detailed and unbiased exploration of how meaning is constructed in the text, complementing traditional qualitative methods and uncovering subtleties that might otherwise go unnoticed. This study demonstrated that corpus linguistics is not limited to large corpora but is equally effective in analyzing smaller datasets to address nuanced research questions. It illustrates the potential of corpus-based methodologies to enrich literary and cultural studies, particularly in investigating identity, representation, and sociopolitical critique. The findings contribute to broader discussions on the intersection of language, culture, and power, offering new insights into the literary portrayal of Pakistani identity in global contexts.