Brief biography of mohsin hamid was born in Pakistan, but he spent much of his
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| Nadia’s, who perhaps feels guilty for having so willingly left behind her native culture—but this is exactly her point, for she feels that Saeed’s praying is a reproach Whether or not this is actually the case, it’s overwhelmingly clear that the couple now operates on separate wavelengths and is ultimately incapable of connecting with one another without either offending or getting hurt. Saeed rolls a joint as Nadia inwardly rejoices, giddy at his positive reaction. Smoking the joint, she realizes that American weed is much more potent than what she’s used to. In accordance with this, she finds herself almost unable to speak. “And then, not looking at each other, they started to laugh, and Nadia laughed until she cried Hamid writes. Although she ostensibly laughs until she cries because of the intense effects of the potent marijuana she has just smoked, Nadia’s descent into tears signals her underlying emotional state. While she’s happy that she and Saeed are finally sharing something and spending time together like the old days, this is only a fleeting joy because she knows that they have drifted apart in more significant and possibly irreparable ways. Hamid notes that most of the natives in Marin have died out or were exterminated long ago At the same time, though, he suggests that it’s not quite true to say there are almost no natives, nativeness being a relative matter Indeed, many people consider themselves natives of Marin, meaning that “they or their parents or their grandparents or the grandparents of their grandparents were born here. Still, the concept of “nativeness” in America is further complicated by the fact that there exists a third layer […] composed of people who descend from those brought from Africa to this continent centuries ago as slaves Saeed gets to know one such person who leads a communal prayer at a local place of worship. Apparently, this priest’s deceased wife originally came from Saeed’s country, meaning that the preacher can somewhat speak Saeed’s language and knows his approach to religion.” Hamid’s consideration of America’s complicated history is important because it engages the idea of migration and nativity, reminding readers—especially American readers—that many of the people who claim to come from the United States aren’t actually native to the land. Rather, their ancestors migrated to the country or were captured and brought hereby the white people who claimed the land for themselves. This ultimately puts the entire novel into perspective, encouraging readers to keep in mind that migration was central to the founding of many modern-day countries—even those (like America) that now rail against the idea of accepting newcomers. Get hundreds more LitCharts at www.litcharts.com ©2018 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 50 The preacher runs a shelter staffed by volunteers that feeds people and teaches English. Before long, Saeed joins the organization and works with the preacher’s daughter, to whom he avoids speaking because his breath seizes when he looks upon her beauty, a reaction that makes him feel guilty. Nadia perceived the presence of this woman not in the form of a distancing by Saeed, as might have been expected, but rather as a warming up and reaching out Hamid writes. Together, they happily smoke joints in the evenings, and Nadia feels bits of the old Saeed returning However, she can’t summon the “old Nadia,” finding her physical attraction to him lacking. This is not because her erotic sensibilities have died away—in fact, they’re quite alive, as evidenced by the fact that sometimes, when Saeed’s asleep, she masturbates while thinking about the volunteer from Mykonos. Download 0.56 Mb. Share with your friends:
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