Exit West

Nadia is one of two main characters in this novel. She is Saeed’s girlfriend for the greater part of the novel and is in many ways his complementary opposite. She is independent and forward-thinking, qualities that serve her well over the course of her voyage. At the same time, a part of her is attached to the traditions of her homeland, as is seen in her affection toward Saeed’s grieving father and her later grief over his own death. Both her independence and her attachment to tradition are symbolized by the full-length veil that she continues to wear, even when she no longer needs to wear it. 

Nadia and Saeed’s journey together is a discovery of different cultures and the state of displacement, but is also a discovery of one another. In the extreme closeness and intimacy of their living conditions, their differences—and their personalities—are heightened. As they adapt to their new living conditions, and to one another, they also become more themselves. Their evolving intimacy is well-summarized by this quote from Chapter 9: “Every time a couple moves they begin, if their attention is still drawn to one another, to see each other differently, for personalities are not a single immutable color, like white or blue, but rather illuminated screens, and the shades we reflect depend much on what is around us” (186).