CROSSING BORDERS, SHAPING IDENTITIES: MIGRATION AND BORDER POLITICS IN MOHSIN HAMID’S EXIT WEST

Abstract

This study examines the representation of migration and border politics in Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West (2017), focusing on how contemporary mobility reshapes identity, belonging, and citizenship. Drawing upon Homi K. Bhabha’s theory of hybridity and Étienne Balibar’s concept of border politics, the research investigates the novel’s critique of exclusionary border regimes and its portrayal of transnational identity formation. Employing a qualitative textual analysis, the study closely analyzes the experiences of Nadia and Saeed as they navigate displacement through Hamid’s symbolic magical doors. The findings reveal that the novel challenges conventional notions of national boundaries by exposing borders as socially and politically constructed mechanisms of control. Furthermore, migration is presented as a transformative process that generates fluid, hybrid, and transnational identities rather than fixed forms of belonging. The study concludes that Exit West offers a powerful critique of contemporary border politics while advocating a more inclusive understanding of human mobility, coexistence, and global interconnectedness.