NEGOTIATING REALITY AND FANTASY IN EXIT WEST BY MOHSIN HAMID: A STUDY OF MAGICAL REALISM AND POLITICAL ALLEGORY IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE

Abstract

Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West (2017) stands at the intersection of imaginative storytelling and political commentary, reflecting the growing literary trend of merging fantasy with realism to depict contemporary global crises such as migration, displacement, and identity fragmentation. This study aims to explore how Hamid blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy through the lens of magical realism and political allegory, using surreal elements particularly the mysterious doors as metaphors for escape, transformation, and borderlessness. Anchored in the theoretical frameworks of magical realism, as defined by scholars like Wendy B. Faris (2004) and political allegory, drawing from Fredric Jameson’s (19981) interpretive model, the research conducts a close textual analysis of key narrative moments to uncover embedded socio-political meanings. The findings suggest that Hamid’s fusion of the magical with the real not only amplifies the emotional depth of the refugee experience but also challenges rigid notions of nationhood, identity, and belonging, ultimately offering a universalized and empathetic perspective on forced migration in the 21st century.