In Al Qaeda and What It Means to Be Modern, Gray describes modernity as the idea that humans are capable of perfecting life and the attempt to perfect it, particularly through science. The Grocer encapsulates Gray’s image of a Positivist; he believes in rational improvements to achieve progress, whatever that might mean. In the original interview, the Grocer says that if he were president of Turkey, he would “make roads for the villagers to come to towns to see the world and would not let them stay in their holes all their life.” For the Grocer, progress is synonymous with outside influence and with wealth. The Grocer dreams of moving to Ankara or America, of building a bigger and nicer grocery store, and of accumulating wealth. In contrast, the Chief is anti-modern. The Chief is content in his way of life and incapable of imagining life beyond his beloved village. If he had more funds, he would ask for “help of money and seed for some of our farmers.” The Chief envisions progress as a continuation of the present; he is incapable of imagining a village where the majority of the population no longer farms.

The Grocer’s worldview comes with a price however. The Grocer was never content. He strove for progress and looked longingly at the wealth of the city. The modern man is constantly hungry for more and can never be content with stagnation. Meanwhile, the Chief was happy when the village was still agrarian, and is still content four years later when the village connects to Ankara. By not assuming the need for “progress”, the Chief appreciates its benefits but doesn’t suffer in its absence.