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.