Although Jack does not express himself in quite such stark terms, the novel as a whole treats nonwhite cultures as debased and problematic. In particular, black culture—here represented by Ahmad's classmates Joryleen, choir girl turned hooker, and her pimping, thuggish boyfriend—is presented in grotesquely stereotypical terms. In the same way, Jack admits to an instinctive dislike for Islam and has a mental block when it comes to Ahmad's Muslim surname.

XREF: Connects to broader critiques of liberal fiction treating racial others through stereotype rather than full humanity. QUESTION: Worth asking whether the critic's reading of the novel is fair or reductive about authorial intent.

Peter Morey, Islamophobia and the Novel, loc. 130