Mohsen Hamid’s Exit West: Understanding the Implications of Borders

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Using Mohsen Hamid’s Exit West to Understand
the Implications of Borders as Currently Defined
Introduction
Mohsen Hamid's Exit West is a story told in four different geographical locations: an unnamed city where a city is underway, Mykonos (an island in Greece), London (England), and Marin (California). In an interview with Berkeley College (Hamid), the author asserts that the book could be perceived as a geographical autobiography and reflects his journey(s) from Lahore, Greek Islands, London, and California. Therefore, as reflected in the book, Hamid has experienced the predicaments faced by immigrants when they try to cross borders. Borders are decisive factors that determine movement not only within regions but the world as well. They are, therefore, the restrictive forces and structures that limit the freedom of movement across the planet. These restrictive forces and structures are among the subtle yet brutal causes of suffering among people considered immigrants.
Exit West
Exit West was published in 2017, a year before the UNHCR announced that the global population of forcefully displaced individuals had reached an unprecedented high of 70.8 million (UNHCR). Therefore, the book came at an opportune time when debates on migrant literature were centered on nationalism, populism, human rights, the inevitable shift from national to global identity. The book is provocative imagination of a reality where migration does not involve journeys. Instead, people can walk through a door and be in another country, defining the concepts and structures of borders. In the book, following the government overthrow by the militant, Nadia and Saeed are informed of the magic doors through which they could travel to different countries without crossing borders (Hamid, Exit West). The idea of stepping through a door to be in a different country is a significant contrast to the reality of migration in the modern world. Even when they cross these boundaries, the mere fact that they crossed the border from outside labels them as the ‘others’ in social, economic, and political discourses. The current definition and application of borders are catastrophic to the defense and implementation of the fundamental tenets of human rights.
Deeper Implications of Borders
It is easy to think of borders as imaginary or tangible restrictions to movement, decisions, or actions. The perception is accurate given that borders are defined as a line separating two administrative divisions. These include districts, states, countries, regions, and continents. It could even mean the fence between neighbors living in the same city. However, assuming that Hamid's desire for an exit door or portal that overrides border restrictions was feasible, it would still not solve the problem faced by migrants. In the book, the couples used the exit and found themselves in London, where they immediately realized they were not wanted simply because of where they came from. Once a migrant crosses the border, they realize that they must face societal rejection in the host country and in a city considered safe because it upholds human rights. The experience is prevalent because new borders ungovernable...