I thought it was both interesting and sad when Hamid wrote about the evolution of the different relationships in the story. He described Saeed’s parents’ relationship, saying that over the years they had sexually distanced themselves from each other and from the way things used to be. Hamid wrote that “Saeed’s mother would sometimes wonder whether he did this out of genuine desire or habit or simply for closeness” (14). Their relationship in a way had lost a flame and it didn’t have an impact on me until Hamid wrote about the dwindling relationship between Nadia and Saeed. On page 200, Hamid describes Nadia’s feelings for Saeed. Nadia wishes she could have their old relationship back and says that she no longer craved his body and that their relationship had become more like siblings. This made me upset because of everything they went through as a couple and their journey together was coming to an end.

This made an impact on me because I feel that a lot of people take relationships for granted. “Exit West” reinforces the importance of relationships opposed to Meursault’s look on life in “The Stranger”. I think when we are on our death bed, we will all look back on the relationships we made with others opposed to how much money we made or how successful we were. Relationships that humans have with one another makes life worth living and it’s important to work hard to maintain healthy and happy relationships in our lives, especially the most important ones.