Author(s): Muhammad Hamad, Dr. Rafiq Nawab

Abstract: This study examines Mohsin Hamid’s novel Exit West (2017), from the perspective of social penetration theory. The prime focus is Saeed and Nadia's relationship, they grow closer in the beginning of their relationship by sharing personal thoughts, experiences, comfort, and security, but once they start migrating through the magical doors, their relationship disrupts and weakens, which underline their emotional transition with physical movements, as they confront external upheavals and internal vulnerabilities, ultimately lead to the social depenetration. Using the lens of Social Penetration Theory given by Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor in 1973, which is based on the notion that every relationship develops through the gradual process of reciprocal self-disclosure and moves into a deeper level of intimacy by covering the different stages to reach intimacy. Moreover, the study examines how the novel offers a unique application of the given theory by shedding light on the challenging environment for maintaining intimacy in a fragmented world. The study follows a qualitative method with a descriptive and interpretive approach with thematic encoding. The findings of this study will help future researchers to expand the scope of this theory in a broader context.

Keywords: Intimacy, Relational Development, Social Penetration and Depenetration, Migration.

Article Info: Received: 25 May 2025; Received in revised form: 20 Jun 2025; Accepted: 24 Jun 2025; Available online: 27 Jun 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.103.101