I read fun Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. A book in 2017 that has main conflict about emigration and refugee. This book as one of the 10 best book in 2017 and was named by “The New York Times”. For the first time I read it, I could not feel the sense of story because the author uses 3rd person omnicient as perspective, and the story handled by the narrator. I even could not feel how if I in the position of the characters because the narrator knows what’s everything inside in character’s mind so they could not change the situation at all in the story. But this book has the unique thing, the author gave the chance for reader to guess what is the theme of his book because it is unwritten.
The story begins with exposition how the two main characters met “NA CITY SWOLLEN BY REFUGEES but still mostly at peace, or at least not yet openly at war, a young man met a young woman in a classroom and did not speak to her”. A young man is Saeed and a young woman is Nadia. The narrator described the situation at that time, in Saeed and Nadia’s city is swollen by refugees but still feel peace because there’s nothing makes their city in danger. Even though not in danger but their city had experience of fighting, “NOT LONG AFTER NOTICING THIS, Saeed spoke to Nadia for the first time. Their city had yet experience any major fighting, just some shootings and the odd car bombing, felt in one’s chest cavity as a subsonic vibration like those emitted by large loudspeaker at music concerts,” The narrator told the situation of Saeed and Nadia’s city before, I could feel the sense how danger it is.
In some pages length, the narrator described that Saeed was independet-minded, grown man, unmarried, and good education. He worked with employer was an agency that specialized in the placement of outdoor advertising. Even though Saeed was the most junior, his boss liked him and had tasked him with turning around a pitch to a local soap company. Different with Nadia, when she was a child, her favourite was art. Art was taught only once a week in her school but she did not consider herself particularly talented as an artist. She worked at the insurance company and she learned how to dress for self-protection because she decided to live alone without family. Saeed lived with his family. His family even called their living room was a telescope because it was black and sleek. I think, both Saeed and Nadia are the same good. Nadia could be independent by living own herself and Saeed always loves and gives honor to his parents even though he growth elder.
When the conflict appeared, the situation changed suddenly like a blue sky faded into grey sky with a gloomy. The one evening in Saeed and Nadia’s place, the hellicopters filled the sky like birds startled by a gunshot. The electricity in their place settled off and militants was coming. They even could not recharge their phone to communicate each other. The situation more risky, Saeed and Nadia must loss their job. Saeed had once asked Nadia to move in with his and his family because he worried about her living alone. But Saeed’s mother has been killed while she was checking for her earring that which she thought she had misplaced in her family’s car. As a reader, the desperate feelings of Saeed and Nadia could not be transferred. The transition of naration is too fast changing. I think in the event that the narrator focus on how Saeed and Nadia’s feelings when Saeed’s mother died, it will make the reader could feel in the story.
Nadia decided to live with Saeed and Saeed’s father after funeral his mother. Nadia called Saeed’s father as ‘father’ and Saeed’s father called Nadia as ‘daughter’. Saeed and Nadia had plan to move to another city because they thought live in their city it is just waiting for own their death. Someone informed them where the door can they reach to move to another city. Unfortunately, Saeed’s father did not want to move their place. “Your mother is here” – “Mother is gone” Saeed said, “Not for me” His father said. This situation makes me cry. Even though in risk situation, the moments with lover is never ever gone. It is really difficult to decide, leave or stay. Saeed’s father decided to stay in their place for always visit the grave of her love. He let Saeed and Nadia to move for the reason that he was thinking only death waited Saeed and Nadia in their city. “and that one day when things were better Saeed would come back to him, and both men knew as this was said that it would not happen,” Saeed’s father also was thinking for the future for his son.
Author made Saeed and Nadia as character rounded and dynamic. In the first, All at times, Saeed admired Nadia. He even asked Nadia in their first meet at coffee shop. But he always limits himself for not having sex before married in nature of his parents. Also he always pray that his father ever taught him. Different with Nadia, Nadia didn’t pray like Saeed but she wear black robe all the times for herself-protect. She started to admire Saeed in their meetings until such time they had plan to move to another city. They moved to Myoko, London, and Marin, they always together and sleep in one bed. But in their last place in Marin, Nadia decided to separate with Saeed and Saeed more closely with preacher’s daughter. I just feel broke in this part because from the first one, Saeed and Nadia are like a match young couple. But they changed their mind and no longer to be admire each other.
To sum up everything that has been stated, this story has divine and social theme. In every situation, pray is the only thing that can makes us feel peace. This story told us about circle of love, meet someone, be in love, decide to always stay or leave for some reasons of love. And the desperate thing is about died. We will certain loose our parents, family, lover, friends, even ourselves someday. Prepare our soul as well before we back to the creaters.