Brief biography of mohsin hamid was born in Pakistan, but he spent much of his
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| As Saeed and Nadia lie in bed and look at these photos, they broach yet another kind of connection, one that aligns with the abstract vision of unity Saeed had when he was high on mushrooms. Indeed, these pictures embody a cosmic unity, one in which different localities are brought together by the fact that they each exist beneath—albeit at different times—the same sky. This notion ultimately sets forth a concept of geographical unity that transcends the arbitrary borders humans have installed to divvy up the world into countries. A week later, all cellphone service in the city vanishes. An announcement is made on TV that the government has decided to do this as a temporary antiterrorism measure Worse, internet service also disappears. Because neither Saeed nor Nadia have working landlines, they suddenly find themselves cutoff from one another, deprived of the portals to each other and to the world provided by their mobile phones Stuck in their apartments each night because of the curfew, they begin to feel marooned and alone and much more afraid.” Especially after readers have just witnessed Saeed and Nadia peering into a phone to behold beautiful pictures that represent global connection and unity, the loss of internet and cellphone service is particularly devastating. Without these devices, the protagonists are cutoff from the internet’s broad horizons, and even their own relationship is hindered because they can’t contact one another. As such, it is in more ways than one that they’re suddenly “deprived” of an important “portal”—a portal through which they’ve heretofore been able to not only reach each other, but also escape the everyday terror of their lives. CHAPTER 4 Saeed and Nadia suddenly have noway to connect, since their evening class has ended. Saeed calls all the insurance companies in the city but has no luck finding Nadia’s. He also goes to the burger restaurant where they usually meet, but Nadia isn’t there. Meanwhile, Nadia rushes home during her lunches to buildup a store of supplies from the grocery store. When the weekend comes, she goes to the bank to withdraw her funds and discovers a giant crowd made up of people who all want to do the same thing. Trying to push through, she gets trapped in the middle of the group, unable to move as a man’s hand pushes down her buttocks and between her legs where he tries to penetrate her with his finger, failing because he [is] outside the multiple fabrics of her robe and her jeans and her underclothes.” Exit West is a book about boundaries and access. It’s also interested in examining romantic connections and intimacy. In this moment, these considerations coalesce with one another, though in a most unfortunate way. As Nadia tries to fend for herself in her war-torn city, she finds her personal space violated the most intimate boundary of all—the physical—is under attack when this unknown man thrusts his hand between her legs, not only violating her body, but also anonymously wielding an unfair power over her, since she can’t move and thus can’t defend herself as her very own borders come under attack. Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com ©2018 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 29 Unable to move her arms, Nadia can only squeeze her legs shut, her body sealing itself off as the crowd lurches and the man’s hand disappears from between her thighs. Shaken, she withdraws as much money as possible from the bank and hides it in her shoes and bag before going to a currency converter and a jeweler, divvying her savings into different kinds of value. Feeling followed, she rushes home only to find a man waiting at the entrance, looking for her, and when she sees him she steels herself and refuses to cry, even though she [is] bruised and frightened and furious, and the man, who ha[s] been waiting all day, is Saeed.” Download 0.56 Mb. Share with your friends:
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