Brief biography of mohsin hamid was born in Pakistan, but he spent much of his
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| when the Union promised freedmen forty acres and a mule as a (largely unfulfilled) gesture of agrarian reform. By comparing Britain’s promise to this historical offer, Hamid implies that the government’s supposed magnanimity is not as altruistic as it may seem. Although Saeed and Nadia no longer must live under the threat of attack, they essentially have gone from living in a mansion to living in an encampment once again. Still, the implication here is that the government is slowly coming around to the idea of welcoming the refugee population into the country. Rather than trying to kick migrants out or force them to escape, it has begun trying to implement policies that will benefit these people, who desperately need assistance. There is a waitlist to live in the new buildings, and Saeed and Nadia aren’t far from the top, though first they have to help erect the lodgings. Overall, though, existence in Britain has become relatively safe, though Saeed and Nadia must share a single cot, where one night Nadia dreams about the volunteer from Mykonos. In the dream, she has gone back to the island, and when she wakes up, she’s almost panting and her body feels alive, or alarmed, regardless changed Henceforth, she periodically catches herself thinking about the volunteer. Saeed, on the other hand, spends his time thinking about his father, whom he learns from a cousin has died of pneumonia. In response to this news, Saeed commits himself to working, signing up for extra shifts to keep himself busy, for he’s not sure how he should mourn. In the same way that Saeed has redoubled his commitment to religion—praying often as away of reconnecting with his past life—he now seeks to distract himself from the grief of having lost his father. In this period, then, work becomes an escape from having to deal with his emotions. And as he retreats into himself in this way, Nadia also withdraws from their relationship by fantasizing about the volunteer from Mykonos. As such, Hamid showcases the ways these characters find to escape their lives and troubles, illustrating that—unfortunately—this kind of escape no longer can be found in their relationship. Nadia is also deeply affected by the passing of Saeed’s father, but she isn’t sure how to express it. Her attempts to talk to Saeed about it fail, since she doesn’t know what to say and Saeed himself remains quiet. Because of this dynamic, she finds herself relieved when she’s working her shift because it means she isn’t with Saeed—a feeling that startles her and makes her feel guilty. When Saeed gathers a group of people to pray for his father, Nadia comes to join the circle, even if only to sit therein solidarity. In response, Saeed tells her she doesn’t need to be there, but she insists on staying. As they pray, though, she feels for the first time unwelcome. Or perhaps unengaged. Or perhaps both.” By praying, Saeed indulges his desire to escape not only the grief he feels in response to his father’s death, but also the unfavorable circumstances of his everyday life. Unfortunately, his relationship with Nadia is in large part responsible for the discontent he feels with his life, so when she offers to participate in his prayers, he’s naturally hesitant to embrace her presence. This is why she feels “unwelcome” and “unengaged”—yet another sign that she and Saeed have drifted from one another. Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com ©2018 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 47 Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, a man lounges on his balcony overlooking a courtyard with beautiful plants. Rolling a cigarette, he thinks about his former lover—who has left him—and sees another old man coming out of the courtyard’s gardening shed. This second man (dressed in tropical clothing) walks around the courtyard, circles back to the shed, turns, doffs his hat to the smoking man, and disappears again into the shed. This scene repeats the following day, but this time the smoking man raises a glass of wine to him. On the third day, the smoking man invites the traveler up fora drink, and even though the smoking man doesn’t speak Portuguese and the traveler doesn’t speak Dutch, they have a wonderful time, eventually sharing a kiss that one of the neighbors—a photographer—accidentally captures on camera, though she deletes it for their sake. Download 0.56 Mb. Share with your friends:
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