Exit West Discussion Questions

How does the narrator’s description of Saeed’s parents’ flat in Chapter 1 help develop the themes in Exit West?

When describing Saeed’s parents’ flat, the narrator touches on several ideas that support the themes in Exit West. The “crumbling facade” dates back to the colonial era, the narrator says. Author Mohsin Hamid will touch on Western imperialism to illustrate that Western values aren’t necessarily better than fundamentalist ones. Rather, a tension exists between the two. The crumbling facade also foreshadows how the militants’ violence will soon put an end to domestic tranquility, which will begin a cycle of alternating construction and destruction. The narrator adds that war will speed up time—another of the novel’s themes—and obliterate the crumbling facade.

What is the significance of the vignette of the old man in San Diego in Chapter 3 of Exit West?

The vignette reinforces an ongoing commentary on Western imperialism in the novel. It parallels the vignette of the woman who works in the United States but visits her daughter left behind in an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. The United States, through force and intimidation, wrested several territories from Mexico during the mid-19th century. Hamid doesn’t bog down the novel with historical facts, but he uses vignettes to illustrate the hypocrisy of people’s sense of “nativeness,” or where they were born. The old man enjoys his wealth and security, backed by a military willing to protect his entitlement from the “Muslims” or “Mexicans” trying to cross the border. But in reality, no one is an “other” in Exit West. The novel underscores that political circumstances and place of birth shouldn’t make anyone seem more or less human than anyone else.

What is the power of the news media as depicted in Exit West?

No one believes in the magical doors until “reputable international broadcasters” report on them in Chapter 5. This change illustrates the media’s power to make people believe in things. In later chapters, the news is characterized as “apocalyptic,” filled with stories of “war and migrants” and reporting only violence and tumult. Generally, in Exit West, the news is a detrimental force because of its focus on negativity and far-reaching power. This characterization is most relevant when Saeed and Nadia live in the worker camp. The tensions between natives and migrants are easing, but the news still sensationalizes crimes. It paints a threatening reality with real consequences, stirring up hatred and fear between natives and migrants. Exit West urges readers to consider the consequences of mistaking news stories for the truth.

What does “weed” represent in Exit West?

Marijuana, “weed” in the novel, represents Western culture. Islam forbids the use of alcohol and drugs, though some Muslims see marijuana as permissible. Saeed and Nadia both smoke marijuana at the beginning of their relationship, signaling that they have both adopted Western values. However, the couple’s trials and tribulations affect their values differently. Saeed becomes more religious, wanting to stay in London and marry Nadia, but she wants to move to California. Saeed agrees to go, but Nadia has doubts that they still belong together. When she presents him with marijuana in Marin, California, his decision to smoke it signals that their relationship can continue in this new setting. However, this moment is just a temporary crossroads, arguably the last commonality they share.

How does language serve as a motif in Exit West?

Language in the novel highlights the role of communication in relationships. The motif first appears in Chapter 6 when Saeed and Nadia arrive on the Greek island of Mykonos and are greeted by a man whose language they do not understand. However, in this new setting they do understand his “international… sign language.” Moments later, they see refugees around a fire, “speaking in a cacophony that [is] the languages of the world.” Language often creates a feeling of warmth and comfort for the characters. When Saeed and Nadia break up, a “language” specific only to them—the way they interact—dies too. Significantly, the last vignette involves a maid who is mute and lonely. Language is portrayed as vital to human relationships, whether spoken or unspoken.