Protagonist wants to experience persecution as a learning exercise, ultimately regrets their decision as they are materially changed and denied reassimilation.
Hiya,
This book was referenced in a video essay that I watched a few years back and can't seem to trace.
This is a fictional story, focused on a protagonist that desires an experience of persecution to better understand the persecuted. This tragically, but expectedly culminates in them regretting their decision as they aren't able to reassimilate into their old life, having been materially changed and denied access to their previous privilege.
The context given for the book when referenced, was as a joke. They compared the subject of the essay to this character and implied it was a well known text.
I appreciate that this is a pretty vague description that might fit a few novels, but I'd appreciate any insight - even if the specific text I'm after is not ultimately suggested. Maybe I'll get some thematically adjacent books to read.
Thank you to anyone who gives this a go!