Brief biography of mohsin hamid was born in Pakistan, but he spent much of his
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| the city. Most importantly, he calls attention to the ways in which such discord and division influence a person’s sense of place. When he says, geography is destiny he prepares readers for Saeed and Nadia’s eventual experience navigating geographically specific acts of violence. Although he hasn’t yet provided readers with enough information about the city’s conflict for them to fully understand the ways in which geography factors into Saeed and Nadia’s problems, Hamid lays the groundwork in this moment for considerations about safety, borders, and escape. Saeed’s mother and father met at a movie theater when they were Saeed’s age. Seeing his father across the lobby, his mother went over and stood in front of him, speaking energetically to a friend so he’d notice her. Before long, he spoke to her, and they connected instantly because they’re both readers, and, indifferent ways, debaters After their wedding, they enjoyed a vigorous sex life together for many years, though in recent times they’ve stopped engaging in physical activity quite as often. In the last year of the life they shared together notes Hamid, the year that was already well underway when Saeed met Nadia, they had sex only thrice As for the cinema where they met, it has been replaced by an arcade, but Saeed still notices his parents smiling as they pass the building. Hamid’s description of Saeed’s parents relationship establishes the novel’s focus on romantic connection and sensuality. From this brief but detailed summary of Saeed’s parents sex life, readers come to understand that sexual activity is something of a barometer in Exit West, an indicator of a relationship’s vitality. At the same time, though, Saeed’s parents union seemingly remains strong even as their sex life tapers off, ultimately suggesting that physical engagement can sometimes fade away without destroying a couple’s love. Saeed’s family keeps a telescope in the living room. This telescope was passed down from Saeed’s grandfather to his father, who subsequently gave it to Saeed. Because the city sky is too bright for the stars to be visible, Saeed can only see celestial formations on cloudless nights after a daytime rain.” On these occasions, the family brings the telescope onto the balcony and sits together while Saeed scans the sky, beholding the light from the stars, which his father reminds him was emitted centuries ago and is only now reaching earth. In this way, looking through the telescope is like looking into the pasta fact Saeed’s father acknowledges by calling the experience “time-travel.” Saeed’s use of the family telescope is one of several ways he escapes his everyday life. Looking into the sky, he’s able to project his vision into space, away from his home city, which is slowly succumbing to violence and conflict. And as his father points out, looking through the telescope also enables him to “time-travel,” ultimately connecting him to the idea of the pasta comforting thought for somebody living in a tumultuous period. In this manner, the telescope provides Saeed with away of transcending his current circumstances. Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com ©2018 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 22 On the same day that Saeed sends his pitch to the local soap company, the family sits on the balcony in the evening while Saeed looks through the telescope. Instead of letting the lens sweep across the sky, though, he points it at the horizon of buildings, capturing windows and walls and rooftops in the eyepiece. Behave yourself, Saeed,” his mother chides, and as his parents joke about how he must be spying on naked women, he angles the telescope into the sky, where he finds Mars. Taking out his phone, he compares what he’s found to an application that charts constellations and gives information about planets. Somewhere in the distance, gunshots echo through the streets. After a moment, Saeed’s mother proposes that the family move inside. Download 0.56 Mb. Share with your friends:
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