The primary source for this assignment is Exit West by Moshin Hamid. You must also use 2 to 6 secondary sources, which can include another book, a published journal or newspaper, an article from Rutgers database, or a reputable website. You may choose any one of the questions below. You may also propose your own question, but you must submit it to me in writing for approval when the proposal is due. Everyone must submit a proposal, regardless of whether youre creating your own topic.
Option 1:
Exit West considers themes of thresholds, borders, and barriers. In short, this is a text partially focused on migration and characters who are refugees. Make an argument about how the symbol of the door functions in the novel through the theme of migration. Research current discussions on migration/borders and consider what the novel may be arguing about modern migration.
Option 2: Hamids novel centers on the complexity of relationships: romantic and familial. There are two
approaches to this topic: consider how Hamid represents family in this novel or consider how Hamid represents romantic love in this novel. How do secondary sources respond to representations of familial or romantic love in contemporary novels? What other themes are connected to this topic?
Option 3:
Technology and modernity are key to the characters in this novel.
Examine the relationship between the characters in the novel and their cellphones to make an argument about the influence of technology on displacement and migration. To help you develop your argument, research the role that technology, particularly phones, plays in a refugee crisis.
OR
Compare different kinds of technology that appear in Exit West and make an argument about their function in the novel. To develop your argument, research the use of technology in contemporary novels, or the influence of drones and surveillance on migration and refugees.
Option 4:
Weve discussed how magical realism is used to critique power structures. What power structure is Hamid critiquing through his use of magical realism? Research the power structure, and the characteristics of magical realism to make your claim.
Option 5:
In Exit West, Hamid uses a third-person omniscient perspective. Omniscient means all-knowing. As a result, we not only know the thoughts and feelings of each character, but also we know what has happened in the past and the future. Make an argument about the effect of the omniscient perspective in Exit West. Research omniscient narrators and/or the use of time in novels to help you craft your argument.
Option 6:
Exit West is set in an anonymous city, and yet contains internationalism as it concerns borders and migration. How does setting function as a device in the novel? What passages reveal certain themes associated with setting? What are those themes? In what ways is this text an urban novel, and how do scholars in secondary sources respond to the placement of urbanity in contemporary novels?
Option 7:
Create your own topic! Theres a lot Ive left out here, and Im open to you developing your own topic or mixing some of the topics above. If you have the seedling of an idea that you are excited about, email me if you are unsure of how to craft this topic.
