The Submission

The Submission is a work of historical fiction in that it takes place two years after 9/11 in the context of creating a memorial. The overarching theme of this book is the question, “What is an American?” The search for the answer comes not from the protagonist, however. Mo is firm in the knowledge that he is American. Mo is a second-generation immigrant who has grown up knowing nothing but America. His closest contact with Islam is through his Muslim Indian parents, and the only rite he observes is Ramadan. He rejects any attempt to characterize him as wholly Muslim, extremist or not. This is best demonstrated when he pastes his own picture over the Post article that reveals the memorial designer’s background is Muslim, and in the process tries to characterize Mo as someone he is not.

Rather, the book endeavors to answer this question through the other characters’ narrative arcs. Mo’s Islamic heritage is constantly questioned or thrown in his face. When asked about his beliefs, where he’s traveled, what his Garden design means, he resorts to one of two strategies. In the first, seen in the public hearing over the memorial design, he explains his intent in terms of architectural history or elemental design. This backfires, because the audience he must appeal to hears only his emphasis on traditional Middle Eastern garden design and takes this emphasis to mean he values the Middle East above America. In the second, he flat out states, “I am an American.” The inane, repetitious, ignorant questions from the prying public, including Claire and Alyssa, seem not to register. Experience has taught Mo that people will twist his words to suit their agenda, and so he responds with the barest truth: He is an American. In his mind, this seems like a fact that needs no explanation.

This matter of identity—who is American and what it means to be American—largely plays out in the sphere of public perception. Mo’s friends and coworkers treat him just like anyone else. In fact, before the memorial committee even learns Mo’s identity, they judge his submission to the best. It’s only once they discover his name, which reveals his heritage, that they become embroiled in a debate about his identity. This all suggests that “Americanness” has less to do with appearance, background, or cultural heritage, and more to do with personal character, values, and beliefs.