Characters

The narrator

The narrator is one of the main characters from the excerpt from the novel How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid . He is a teenager who works as a delivery boy for a DVD store and rides a bike for hours each day. This helps him stay in shape. He is “impressively fit” (p. 153, l. 23), but he is not that well-built because he rarely eats what he needs, since he cannot always afford it. 

The pretty girl remarks that the narrator is skinny, which makes him feel self-conscious and insecure about his physical appearance. However, the pretty girl remarks that they are both strong. It is possible that she refers to mental strength, as well as to physical strength. The narrator also has a reputation as a good fighter in the neighborhood. 

When the narrator’s neighbor tells him that protein would help him build more muscle, the narrator tries to add extra protein to his meals. He secretly buys a quarter-liter packet of milk per day. The narrator is conflicted about his secret purchase of milk. He feels guilty, but he weighs the benefits and decides he is entitled to this expense for the sake of his physical growth. This shows that he is rational and practical. 

It is possible that the narrator hesitates to approach the pretty girl because of his insecur...