Adnan Khan

2158-BH-ENG-19

Dr. Sameer Ahmed

Final Term Paper

Summer Semester

26-6-2023

Abstract

This paper aims to apply feminist criticism to Mohsin Hamid’s novel Exit West. By analyzing
the novel using a feminist lens, the paper will identify the prejudices and oppression against
women. The paper will use Simone De Beauvoir’s theory of women’s inequality and Julia
Kristeva’s theory of Abjection to show how the novel’s female characters are exploited,
harassed, and abused by the men of a patriarchal society.

Method And Methodology

The current study explores all dynamics regarding the representation of women in Hamid
Mohsin’s Exit West. Julia Kristeva’s theory of Abjection and Simone De Beauvoir’s theory of
feminism is used to outline the false portrayal of women in a patriarchal society. The study is
based on qualitative research, and an interpretive and descriptive method is used to analyze and
interpret the text.

Theoretical Framework

This paper will use feminist criticism as a significant lens to evaluate the prejudices against
women in a patriarchal society. Julia Kristeva’s theory of Abjection and Simone De Beauvoir’s
feminist theory will also demonstrate how the text has described women as the oppressed and
marginalized. Lois Tyson’s Critical Theory Today and Simone De Beauvoir’s The Second Sex,
among other secondary sources, will serve as referential sources.

Literature Review
Research Questions

Introduction

The oppressed, subjugated and tolerant character is pervasive in Pakistani literature. Pakistan,
unfortunately, is still known as a patriarchal state where all the prejudices against women go
unpunished. Gender-based oppression has increased to such an extent that every Pakistani writer
finds it inevitable to add to their writings this debate of gender discrimination and intimidation.
Feminist criticism is a literary theory that offers the students of literature a lens through which
psychological, economic, political and social oppression can be identified and embedded within
a text. This paper will determine how the novel’s female characters are affected by such gender
discrimination in Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West. The novel describes how Saeed and Nadia, the
main protagonists, travel across magical doors that teleport them to new places. They leave their
city of birth when a militant group takes over the government, and the city starts to fall.

Analysis

To begin with, the text demonstrates how women in a patriarchal society are dealt with. The
story starts by providing us with the features of Nadia. Nadia is shown as a young girl who left
her house to work at an insurance company after graduation. She lives on her own in a rented
apartment. Nadia and Saeed met in a class on corporate identity and product branding, and it was
then that Saeed asked Nadia out for coffee. Nadia is a woman who always wears a black robe
and travels by bike. When Saeed asks Nadia about “her conservative and virtually all-concealing
black robe. If you do not pray, why do you wear it?” (Hamid 15)To this Nadia replies, “So men
don’t fuck with me.” (Hamid 15) These exchanges of dialogues portray how women suffer at the
hands of patriarchal society and the way women fear men that they cover themselves up first
with clothes and then with a robe. However, men, on the other hand, do not abide by the same
concepts or rules. It is entirely different for them when it comes to their public appearances. Men
in Pakistan, in summer, are seen roaming around with their shirts off and wearing only shorts or
half trousers. However, according to the patriarchal concepts and the stereotypical roles of men
and women, it is taboo for a woman to roam around this way. Feminist criticism focuses on such
prejudices that women suffer and focuses on how, if a woman does not wear a robe or adequately
covers her body, she will be responsible if harmed, raped or abused by a man. In another
instance, when Nadia encountered a man at a red traffic signal, ignored a man who greeted her,
and out of rage, the man said, “Only a whore would drive a motorcycle, and swearing with such
ferocity that she thought he might attack her so she sped off.” (Hamid 28) These two instances
prove Julia Kristeva’s theory of Abjection: “The state of being cast out or rejected from the
symbolic order (particularly in relation to the human body and its bodily fluids, waste, and
death). Kristeva argues that Abjection is both repulsive and fascinating, and it plays a crucial role
in forming individual and collective identity.” This paper tends to prove that, similarly to the
theory of Abjection, Nadia, only because she is of the opposite gender than a man, is not allowed
to ride over a motorcycle when a man is. Kristeva’s theory tends to draw out the prejudices
against women, the actions considered taboo for women, and a standard and essential need for a
man.

Moreover, if Nadia were caught by the man who chased her and abused her in any way, the
blame, according to the patriarchal society, would be on Nadia’s shoulders and not the man’s
because, in such societies, it is not at all womanly for a woman to get out of their homes and ride
around on their motorcycles. Simone De Beauvoir says, “Patriarchal civilization dedicated
woman to chastity; it recognized more or less openly the right of the male to sexual freedom,
while the woman was restricted to marriage. The sexual act, if not sanctified by the code, by a
sacrament, is for her a fault, a fall, a defeat, a weakness; she should defend her virtue, her
honour; if she ‘yields’, if she ‘falls’, she is scorned; whereas any blame visited upon her
conqueror is mixed with admiration” (Beauvoir 368-69)

The novel shows how a patriarchal society has internalized in every individual the concept of
gender-based stereotypes, which, over time, affects the relationship between individuals and
parents and children. Feminist criticism sheds light on these stereotypes and defines how they are
perceived in a male-dominated society. According to such stereotypes, a woman is to believe in
marriage as an institution and the best thing to ever happen to a woman. A woman in such a
society is further expected to be obedient to the impositions made on her by the male-dominated
society and never to question their authority. (“Patriarchy – an Overview | ScienceDirect
Topics”) For example, in the text, the readers witness the following lines, “But when Nadia
announced, to her family’s utter horror, and to her own surprise for she had not planned to say it,
that she was moving out on her own, an unmarried woman, the break involved hard words on all
sides, from her father, from her mother and most of all from Nadia herself.” This demonstrates
that a woman is the most marginalized creature in a male-dominated society. The above-
provided textual evidence stands as a supporting argument for how parents, brothers, and sisters
even have internalized gender-based stereotypes. It explains how a woman can never live
independently and without marrying, that is, without depending on a man for survival. This idea
is not only carried out by Nadia’s relatives but is also deeply embedded within Nadia herself that
she does not like the sound of the idea that was all her own. This internalizing of patriarchal rules
can also be witnessed when Saeed asks Nadia why she still wears her robe when they are
nowhere near their city of birth and even when in that place, it was not necessary for a woman to
wear a robe. Nadia replied that “she had not needed to wear them even in their own city when
she lived alone before militants came, but she chose to, because it sent a signal, and she still
wished to send this signal.” (Hamid 67) Looking at these lines from a feminist perspective, one
can say that the word “signal” means telling the men that she is not interested in interacting with
them and wants to be left alone.

Moreover, Mohsin Hamid also brings to light the atrocities women bear when they encounter
men. Hamid writes, “On the weekend when she was waiting in a line, waiting for the bank to
open, she was groped from behind, someone pushing his hand down her buttocks and between
her legs and trying to penetrate her with his finger, she was pinned by the bodies around her,
unable to speak or shout.” (Hamid 39) These lines, when analyzed with a feminist lens, portray
how hard life for a woman has proven to be. All these harassments occur due to the gender-based
patriarchal stereotypes, which deem women as weak creatures who can always be oppressed and
subjugated by men psychologically, socially, economically and politically. (“Overview and
Examples of a Patriarchal System”) The image of a woman in a male-dominated society is
shown as someone who needs protection and, if not protected, can be harmed in every way
possible. Feminist criticism opposes such sympathetic attitudes of men towards women. For
instance, Hamid writes, “Saeed, for his part, wished he could do something for Nadia, could
protect her from what would come, even if he understood, that to love is to enter into the
inevitability of one day not being able to protect what is most valuable to you.” (Hamid 96) and
“He had not added that it was especially unsafe for a woman to be all alone, but she knew both
that he thought it and that it was true, even as she parried his suggestion.” (Hamid 46) This
textual evidence demonstrates how Saeed, in a way, deems her to be a weak subject who needs
his protection, and Nadia herself can be witnessed to have internalized these stereotypes. Louis
Tyson, in his Critical Theory Today – A User-Friendly Guide, discusses how a man and woman
can both be said to have feminine and masculine traits and that it is the society that forces us to
suppress the traits that affect one’s gender or identity. To this, Tyson states, “The role of
Cinderella, which patriarchy imposes on the imagination of young girls, is a destructive role
because it equates femininity with submission, encouraging women to tolerate familial abuse,
wait patiently to be rescued by a man, and view marriage as the only desirable reward for the
‘right’ conduct.” (Tyson 88) In the same debate, Simone De Beauvoir adds, “Marriage is the
destiny traditionally offered to women by society” (Beauvoir 415). Similar is the case with the
character of Nadia. At the novel’s beginning, Nadia is shown as an independent woman who
ultimately becomes utterly dependent on Saeed for survival.

According to Tyson, when a woman dates more than one man, she is believed to have committed
an act of infidelity and is regarded as a slut. However, for the same actions, man is known as a
stud and is appreciated for it. In his novel, Hamid describes Saeed’s mother in such a manner
that she seems to be the one of a lustrous nature and not Saeed’s father. He describes their sexual
intercourse in the following manner, “Saeed’s mother found it more uncomfortable, but she was
also the more keen, and so she insisted on repeating the act twice more before dawn. Generally
speaking, she was voracious in bed. Generally speaking, he was obliging.” (Hamid 13). This
demonstrates how Hamid has knowingly or unknowingly enforced sexist ideology, which only
promotes gender discrimination and oppression. As Tyson, in his books, says, “patriarchal
literature sees nothing wrong with its sexism.” (Tyson 117) In Chapter Eight again, Hamid
writes, “The woman in the leather jacket removed her foot from the wall, and there was space for
Saeed to pass, and so he squeezed through, brushing her body with his, and feeling emasculated
as he did so, and when he was alone he thought of her.” (Hamid 87) Here again, the descriptive
language that Hamid has used, if analyzed with a feminist lens, clearly shows how Hamid has
embedded sexist ideologies in his novel and shown how the woman in the above lines is
portrayed as a seditious woman and the way his text promotes gender-based biases. Hamid.
However, Saeed, on the other hand, is also portrayed as attracted towards the woman in the
leather jacket that he had encountered earlier. However, Hamid has discussed him in a wholly
different and pleasant manner that when the reader reads the text, he/she automatically
sympathizes with Saeed. These instances illustrate how a writer is never free from gender-based
biases that he/she holds against their characters. They might consciously or subconsciously
admire one gender over another.

Likewise, a feminist critic tends to draw out the themes of sisterhood in a text. Hamid puts up a
positive demonstration of the bonds between women in the novel. In chapter six, when Saeed
and Hamid are deceived by one of Saeed’s old fellows, a young girl arrives for their escape. She
offers free medical services to the refugees in the camp, and later, Nadia asks for her help
escorting them out of the place through a secret magical door, which she does. Hamid writes,
“The girl wished them good luck, and she hugged Nadia tight, and Saeed was surprised to see
what appeared to be tears in the girl’s eyes, and this hug lasted a long time.” (Hamid 70) This
demonstrates that it is primarily a woman who understands the other woman’s suffering and
helps each other through difficult times. This theme of sisterhood illustrates women’s resistance
against prejudices. Tyson regards this aspect of sisterhood as something that should act as a bond
between women and all kinds of women. He writes, “Therefore, the promotion of sisterhood-
psychological, social and political bonding among women based on recognition of common
experiences and goals include respect and attention for all women.” (Tyson 106)

Furthermore, as discussed, the text proves to appreciate traditional gender roles and gender-based
stereotypes. Women throughout the novel are witnessed crying, lamenting, serving men, making
compromises of every kind, and most of all, tolerating the atrocities and prejudices against them.
The following instances from the text will prove to be the textual evidence of the
abovementioned claims. For instance, “Saeed’s mother found it more uncomfortable” (Hamid
13), “Saeed’s father started to be cast, or to cast himself, more and more often, as the one who
tried to initiate sex. She tried her best to respond” (Hamid 13). “She intended to say no but
actually said yes, and they had sex” (Hamid 24), “On the day of funeral, Nadia came to their
apartment for the first time, stayed with them that night to offer what comfort and help she could
provide.” (Hamid 46) Men can bed their wives anywhere, anytime they want to, but when it
comes to women, they can not do it without the consent of their husbands. De Beauvoir says, “a
statement supported by the fact that many men do not trouble themselves to find out whether the
women who bed with them desire coition or merely submit to it. Coition cannot take place
without the male’s consent” (Beauvoir 368). This also proves to be a ground for a woman to be
considered as a good or a bad girl. According to Tyson, “the “good girl” had to remain
uninterested in sexual activity, except for legitimate procreation, because it was believed sinful
for a woman to have sexual desire. In fact, “good” women were to find sex frightening or
disgusting.” (Tyson 89-90)

All the aforementioned textual references are evidence of how women are shown carrying out
their traditional roles of serving and compromising. Men, too, are witnessed to play their
traditional roles of being dominant beings suppressing women.

Conclusion
 Citations

 Hamid, Mohsin. Exit West. Large Print Press, a Part of Gale, a Cengage Company, 2018.

 Tysonnn, Lois. Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide. Routledge, 2006.

 Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory : An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. 4 ed.,
th

Manchester University Press, 2017.

 Nash, Catherine J. “Patriarchy – an Overview | Sciencedirect Topics.”
Www.sciencedirect.com, 2020, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/patriarchy.
 Sikweyiya, Yandisa, et al. “Patriarchy and Gender-Inequitable Attitudes as Drivers of
Intimate Partner Violence against Women in the Central Region of Ghana.” BMC Public
Health, vol. 20, no. 1, May 2020, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08825-z.
 “Overview and Examples of a Patriarchal System.” Study.com, 2022,
https://study.com/learn/lesson/patriarchy-overview-examples-system.html.