Men in The Sun, A Review

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Ghassan Kanafani is one of the famous Arab writers who represent resistance literature. His writing was mainly devoted to depict the struggle of his people and ignite new resistance acts against Israeli forces of occupation. The writer affirmed the strong determination of the Palestinian people to liberate their occupied lands whatever the cost would be. Kanafani was a writer and journalist from Acre, the editor of al-Hadaf. A member of the Political Bureau of PFLP and its spokesperson, he published their newspapers (Al-Ray, The Opinion). Kanafani was killed by a car bomb on July 8, 1972 in Beirut.

Men in the Sun is Ghassan Kanafani's first novel. This novel explains the consequences of the Nakbah on Palestine and the Palestinians through three generations who have different backgrounds but they all share the same goal and dream which is to find their way to Kuwait. They believe Kuwait is their hope for survival in this world and by reaching there they will accomplish their dreams. Their dreams are the basic human rights which are having a house with a concrete roof and enough food and money.

Abu Qais

Abu Qais is the first character in the novel. He is an old man who lost his house and his olive trees and now he is living with his wife and Qais in the refugee camp. Everyday he dreams of returning to his olive trees but he doesn't know how he will go back there after the Jews invaded it. He is forced to move to Kuwait because of his family's economic condition. His dreams are to come back with enough money to build a house and buy olive trees.

Asaad

Asaad represents the middle generation, he is being chased by the authorities for his political activities. He is deceived by his father's old friend. The friend took 20...

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... would be caught and it's the end of their dream.

The three men in this novel represent the people who abandoned their homeland in search for a better life. This is what happens to people who abandon their homeland, their death is a shameful and undignified death not like the people who die defending their country where they are honored and looked up to. Abul Khaizuran represents the leader who betrays his people by promising them to fulfill their dreams but instead he led them to their death and he only cared to fulfill his personal needs. The road represents the struggle of life the characters go through to reach their dreams and the desert represents the obstacles that keep them for achieving the dreams. The three men had to knock to be saved but the never knocked, the Palestinians need to raise their voice in order to be heard just like knocking on the tank.

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