Migration and Terrorism in Mohsin Hamid's Exit West

Read full text
Authors: Tahoor Ali
Cited by: 0

Abstract

This article critically analyzes Mohsin Hamid's Exit West (2017) from the perspective of terrorism as the primary catalyst for contemporary crises including forced migration, identity fragmentation, and refugee displacement. In the post-9/11 literary landscape, terrorism and migration have emerged as interconnected phenomena demanding scholarly attention, particularly within postcolonial studies. Through close textual analysis of Hamid's novel, this study examines how terrorism engenders various forms of displacement, physical, psychological, economic, and environmental. The research draws upon theoretical frameworks from Hannah Arendt, Edward Said, Soren Frank, and Salman Rushdie to interpret the primary text. This article argues that Hamid's portrayal of protagonists Saeed and Nadia provides a site for analysis that deals with the multifaceted nature of forced migration in the age of global terrorism, revealing how terror fundamentally transforms human identity, belonging, and survival strategies in the contemporary world.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies Contemporary Literature and Criticism Migration and Exile Studies

Publication details

Journal / source
UCP Journal of Languages & Literature
Volume
3
Issue
2
Pages
96–111
Publication date
5 January 2026