Exit West

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. Where do Saeed and Nadia meet?

2. What do Saeed’s parents tease him about when he looks through his telescope?

3. Why does Nadia wear a robe and veil?

4. What do windows symbolize in the first five chapters of the novel?

5. Why does Saeed’s father stay behind?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Saeed find unusual about Nadia?

2. Why is Nadia estranged from her family?

3. What happens when cell service is shut off?

4. How does Nadia respond when Saeed asks her to marry him?

5. Why does Nadia agree to move in with Saeed and his father?

6. What effect does Nadia have on Saeed’s father?

Paired Resource

“About Mohsin Hamid”

• The author’s site provides short biographical information on Mohsin Hamid.
• How does learning more about the author inform your understanding of this novel? What other types of writing is Hamid known for? How do his other titles help you understand his purpose in writing Exit West?

Chapters 6-9

Reading Check

1. Where do Nadia and Saeed find themselves after they go through the first magical door?

2. Why do Nadia and Saeed have to go to a medical clinic?

3. How do the Nigerians with whom Nadia spends her time suggest responding to the local government?

4. What news does Saeed learn about his father?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Name two challenges that Saeed and Nadia encounter in the refugee camp.

2. How satisfied are Saeed and Nadia with their housing in London?

3. What does the government do in London that is an act against migrants?

4. Why doesn’t Nadia want to move in with Saeed at the house he shares with others?

5. Why does Nadia suggest going through another door?

Paired Resource

“Globalization”

• This brief description and accompanying vocabulary from National Geographic might help to introduce the term.
• One of the themes of this novel is Navigating the Challenges of Globalization. In what ways has globalization posed challenges to civilizations for centuries? Has globalization created new challenges for your generation? Explain.

“The New Colossus”

• This poem by Emma Lazarus is excerpted on the Statue of Liberty.
• How does this poem, a section of which appears on the Statue of Liberty, contrast with the treatment of Saeed and Nadia (and their fellow refugees) in London? Do these cherished words still apply to a world as it struggles with Navigating the Challenges of Globalization?

Chapters 10-12

Reading Check

1. Where do Saeed and Nadia arrive after leaving London?

2. How do Saeed and Nadia get power in their new home?

3. With whom does Nadia start a new relationship?

4. How does the government watch over Saeed and Nadia’s new community?

5. With whom does Saeed find community?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why might Saeed and Nadia feel reluctant to separate?

2. What activity do Saeed and Nadia find comfort in doing together?

3. How has the meaning of the word “native” changed in this new life?

4. Why do Saeed and Nadia lose touch?

5. What type of device does Saeed’s new girlfriend create?

6. Which final encounter ends the novel?

Paired Resource

“Syrian Refugee Crisis Explained”

• This informational article from the United Nations is about the Syrian refugee crisis.
• How does Nadia and Saeed’s experience reflect what you read about Syrian refugees and their experience?

Recommended Next Reads 

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

• A young man rises to corporate power in a surging Asian metropolis.
• The story explores the theme of Navigating the Challenges of Globalization.
• How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia on SuperSummary

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed Masood

• The members of two Muslim families from Pakistan and Iraq negotiate the challenges of life in America.
• The novel discusses refugees and asylum while connecting to the theme of Modernity and Tradition.