Pakistani-born Mohsin Hamid tells the harrowing story of two refugees in his fourth novel, Exit West. The novel, selected as one of The New York Times Book Review’s Top 10 books of 2017, follows a young couple forced to flee from an unnamed country in conflict as they make their way through various “magical doors” in search of a better life. Raising themes that may be difficult to swallow, the journey of Nadia and Saeed reflects that of the 65 million refugees around the world today. Although written in a time before Donald Trump and the UK’s exit from the European Union brought ideas of border control to the forefront of international news, themes that Hamid raises through Exit West are even more poignant today. Hamid succeeds in reminding us of the current refugee crisis and in some ways helps to put the trivial tasks that we may face into perspective.
We may question precisely why Exit West was chosen as this year’s summer reading for the Connecticut College Class of 2022. Although I felt as though I could connect with themes of relocation throughout, it would be almost superficial to compare my journey from England to America with that of Nadia and Saeed. Despite moving to a new country for university, there is one difference that I cannot ignore. I have chosen to leave home and move to somewhere new, while Nadia and Saeed were left with little to no choice. I believe that Exit West was a favorable choice for summer reading as the novel prompts us as a student body to reflect on our freedom and appreciate the opportunities that we are lucky enough to take advantage of; a freedom that the two characters, along with millions of people around the world, are not fortunate enough to possess.
As the couple make their way from their home country to Greece, to England, and finally to the US through various fictitious doors, Hamid’s use of “magical” portals may appear to contradict the severity of the issue at hand and undermine the true turmoil that refugees endure as they flee war or poverty or persecution. In reality, Hamid omits details of Nadia and Saeed’s journey to highlight the trials and tribulations that they face upon arrival. While the media tends to focus on the hardships experienced by refugees as they travel from one country to another, Hamid chooses to take the attention away from their physical journey and emphasize the psychological repercussions that occur in the aftermath. We are encouraged to empathize with the challenges that Nadia and Saeed face once they have reached their destination having left family, friends and the only life that they knew.
As well as current circumstances, Hamid encourages us to consider the future. While the refugee crisis continues to worsen, the future of immigration remains uncertain. As Nadia and Saeed spent a lot of time in London, I found myself reflecting upon the current migrant situation in my home country of England. The descriptions of a London filled with hatred and intolerance contrast significantly with the London that I know; a city that I associate with acceptance and freedom. This prompted me to wonder whether the minority that exists to promote hatred and intolerance will ever really win. Will London ever really be this way? Describing the ending of his novel as a ‘blueprint for humanity,’ Hamid provides us with an air of hope that global political conflicts may one day subside and fail to reach the height of intolerance that he depicts in Exit West. •
