Reconceptualizing Home in Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West

Abstract

Exit West, a 2017 novel by Mohsin Hamid, takes a contemporary look at the inevitable migration of individuals across borders and even continents as societies degenerate into anarchy and conflict. It portrays the situation of refugees in their war-torn countries. Hamid pictures this global issue in a new way that shows migration and traveling in a complete different way. The experiences of displacement, identity crisis and racism are demonstrated in the novel, the author Mohsin Hamid has pictured his own experiment with migration in his novel. Furthermore, this research explores the process of migration and its traumatic effects on Saeed and Nadia, the main characters, besides other characters in the novel whom they experience fear and threat on their journey. The applied methodological theories are Homi K.Bhabha theories of Ambivalence, Third Place, Place and Displacement. The findings of the study is to analysis the fluidity and evolving of the notions of Home. Moreover, explores the emotional and psychological impact of displacement on characters' sense of belonging and identity, and highlighting universal themes such as Migration.