Life of Ghassan Kanafani
Ghassan Kanafani was born in Acre, Northern Palestine on 1936. His family was exiled and fled from Acre in 1948 and settled in Damascus as Palestinian refugees. He studied in the Syrian capital and according to some biographers, was expelled from the university even before he could finish his studies.
He left for Kuwait, taught and became more politically active. He later moved to Beirut and was a writer of several newspapers. He started the magazine Al-Hadaf on 1969.
Al-Hadaf established a name and reputation and became quoted widely by international press. Kanafani became an active participant of the Arab Nationalist Movement, but he developed a political idealism that moved towards Marxism. He eventually shared the belief of George Habash that the Palestinian problem could not be solved if there is no social revolution in the Arab world.
Israelis believed Kanafani to be involved in the planning of terrorist attacks and he and his niece were slain from the explosion of an Israel car bomb in Hazmiwa on July, 1972, leaving behind his wife and two children.
Plot of Men in the Sun
In his work entitled Men in the Sun, Kanafani used his life story as the inspiration in the trauma that was encompassed by three characters Abu Qais, Marwan and Assad. They have a single purpose in life, to escape the oppression and poverty in their native land and seek for opportunity in Kuwait.
Abi Qais wants to support his wife, a son and a newborn. Marwan wants to prove to his father that he could support his mother and siblings in a better way. Assad is a middle-aged man who had attempted futile attempts to escape only to experience being swindled by smugglers. Because of the intolerable condition in Palestine, the three main characters asked the help of Abul Khaizuran, a truck driver who also has his own past, who convinced the three different characters that he could successfully bring them to Kuwait for a small fee. The plan was that they will be hidden inside the truck until such that they will get past the border. When they approach the border, they were delayed because the officer at the checkpoint engaged their driver in a conversation causing the three to suffocate and die. In the end, the three main characters die inside the lorry. Neither of them had the chance to achieve their dreams of escaping the difficulties in their own nation.
Literature and Historical Analysis of Men in the Sun
The Israel-Palestine has caused the undue exile and continuing displacement of the Palestine people from their home into place where, they believe, would be more opportune for them in terms of both economic and security opportunities. Tracing the root of the conflict that unjustly robs Palestine people of their right to apply for jobs that allow them and their family’s survival, one is lead back to the early occupation of the Zionists to claim the land that is presently dominated by Palestinians. It is the Zionists’ claim that they are the rightful owners to the land which they call ‘Israel,’ since the land was given to them by God. In the same way, the Palestinians believe that the land they call ‘Palestine’ was also given to them by Allah. History, however, will show that the Arabs have long occupied Palestine even before the Zionists invaded them and displaced them from their homes.
History traces back that during the occupation of the Roman Empire of the land that is now known as Israel, the land was inhabited by both Jewish and Arabic settlers. However, the Romans enforced and order that either killed or drove the Jewish inhabitants away from the land. With an increasing number of Jews occupying Palestine, conflict started to when the Jews started to show interest in taking over the land and establishing government. Other Arab countries went to the aid of the Palestinians but lost to the Jewish occupants, the United Nations stepped in and rewarded the 55% of the totality of the land to the Jews, now the Israelis, amidst the usual ruling of proportional granting of lands. The Jews comprised only 30% of the population, then. Earlier, when the land was later invaded by the British, the Jew occupants declared independence and total claim to the land. This pushed the Arab Palestinians to seek refuge in nearby Arab countries until they are able to secure their rights to the land which they once called home. However, in the Israel, itself, Arab Palestinians are being forced to seek greener pastures in neighboring Arab countries because of the prevalent discrimination that seems to favor Jews over Arabs. The dominance of the Jews have become demarcating to the point that Arab Palestinians are being driven out of the very place that they cultivated for years, and which is now being taken away from them.
Ghassan Kanafani anchors the story of Men in the Sun in the same behavior that has become a trend among Arab Palestinians. Marsad, Abu Qais, and Marwan are portraits of Arab Palestinians who seek better chances at being hired for more reputable jobs. The three characters also portray the different reasons that push Arab Palestinians to get out of their land.
Abu Qais represents the breadwinners who are forced to leave their families to be able to support them. Abu Qais is described by Kanafani as a married man who is father to two. His first son is in grade school and his wife has just given birth to another child. Because of his desperation Abu Qais is forced to find ways to be able to support his growing family. The means that he has explored ultimately lead to his demise. This shows how much Arab Palestinians grow desperate that they would even risk their own lives and endure separation from their families just so they would be able to give them a better future.
Marwan’s situation is similar to Abu Qais in his want to support his family. However, who Marwan wishes to support is his family. It is revealed in the story that Marwan’s father left him, his brother and her mother for a wealthy girl. Marwan’s older brother is already in Kuwait and is able to send them support. However, conflict arises when Marwan’s older brother decides to get married. Since this would mean that he his brother would no longer be able to support them, Marwan is forced to look for ways to be able to support his mother. Although fit and able to work, Marwan’s character is forced to look for other ways wherein he could support his mother. Marwan represents those Arab Palestinians who are burdened not by their incapacity to do work to able to return the favor of taking care of their parents but by the discriminative system in the country.
Assad is described to be an independent man and is revealed to have no family to support. Kanafani uses the character of Assad to paint a picture of a man who is aware and transcendent of his situation. The character is a direct allusion to Arab Palestinians who are aware of their situation and wishes to change it. Sadly, however, Assad realizes that there is no hope of changing his current situation by remaining in the country because of the prevalent discrimination that even prevents him and others like him from working to improve his situation and stature in life. Assad’s character expresses Kanafani’s awareness of the gravity of the situation in Israel. In fact, the desperation of most Arab Palestinians is best described in Assad’s character. What Assad’s situation suggests is that amidst Assad’s independence, he is still not able to sufficiently improve his situation. The fact that his illegal attempt to cross to Kuwait is not his first, Kanafani shows the reader severity of the oppression — that risking to get caught and cheated again to be able to reach Kuwait is more favorable than remaining in his own country.
As the three characters meet and embark on their journey towards Kuwait, they start hold their dreams closer so much that they endure all the pain that the smuggling them across to Kuwait had to give. The three characters are smuggled to Kuwait by Abul Khaizuran. Although Abul does not share the same sentiments as the three, his experiences symbolize a deeper imprint that is reminiscent of the scars and longstanding effects of the Israel-Palestine war.
The symbolism in Abul’s experience being referred here is his physical and emotional emasculation. Since he was captured by the opposing side, his punishment was the removing of his genitals. He was not able to have a wife or father any child as a result of this. Abul’s experience symbolizes the emasculation of the whole Arab Palestinians in general. This does not refer to the actual physical removal of the genitals but to the fact that the Arab Palestinians seemed to be displaced of their courage and claim to their land because of their defeat against the Zionists. Abul makes up for his lost manhood by trying to help other Palestine men cross towards Kuwait. Kanafani seems to have also provided a symbolism that implies Abul’s act as emasculating and cowardly. Kanafani provides that leaving the country is not something to be encouraged and that Arab Palestinians must stay in their country to be able to resolve the discrimination that continues to loom it.
The journey itself and the road that the four traveled upon is described to be a dry waste under which the sun bakes everything. Since the three who dream of being smuggled to Palestine are inside a lorry, the temperature inside the container is almost unbearably hot. However, their dreams and their total trust in Abul has allowed them to stay inside a the lorry for as long as it was necessary; when there were check points where Abul had to sign on papers for their passing. As with most pieces of literature, the road is a symbol of change and a series of trials that ought to test the dedication and passion of those who are embark on it.
Consistently, Kanafani uses the journey and the travel that the four embarks to bring out issues and experiences that surround their character and persona. All four prove to be representing and corresponding to experiences of Arab Palestinians – particularly of discrimination.
By the end of the novel, it is revealed that the three died and that Abul suffers much grief from his failure and his loss. Because of being held up by a guard, the three who had to hide inside the lorry scorched and choked. They died silently and without a word.
The novel ends with Abul repeatedly asking himself why the three did not knock. By doing so, they would have escaped death and freed themselves from the lorry.
An answer to this would be the established theme of trust throughout the story. In the first part of the story where the smuggling arrangements were being discussed and where the plan was laid out, Abul expressed fostered an air of trust by allowing the three to pay him for the transaction after he is able to successfully deliver them to Kuwait. Assad’s trust in him furthers this atmosphere even more because Assad’s experience in selecting an eligible smuggle has been honed by his experience before when he was left for dead by the smuggler that he initially hired.
Although the three may have realized that they could have escaped death by knocking on the lorry’s walls to make noises and catch Abul’s attention, they did not for reasons that doing so would most likely only result to mayhem. Another interpretation one may give such action is the total trust that the three confers to Abul. Such trust pertains not only to their confidence that Abul did everything that he could to be able to help them but to the fact that Abul undoubtedly helps people who from their country to be able to cross borders to help them attain a better life for themselves and their family.
It is, perhaps, Kanafani’s intention to make the readers realize that the three are aware that if they were caught in the lorry, they would not only be put to death but Abul’s life will be ended as well. This act shows the almost altruistic concern that the three has for Abul and their fellow Arab Palestinians. It may also be seen as some sort of affirmation or emphasis to the gravity of the situation in their country’s discrimination: that they would rather die and bake inside the lorry than be safe with their families while they slowly starve to death.
There are critics who say that Kanafani compared the situation of the three main characters to the Palestinian people who have chosen to act their fate by being second class citizens in their own nation. In the story, Abul questioned the reason why the three did not do something to save themselves when they could have told him about their situation so he could have done something to save them. He thought that it would be difficult because they would have been exposed but, at least, they would have a fighting chance to survive. Critics say that Kanafani compared their situation with that of the general Palestinian population who silently accepted their fate. Perhaps, Kanafani wanted to stress the point that the Palestinian people have a choice. But it was only a matter of them having the will and the resolve to make the choice.
The three main characters died imagining about the possible change in their life once they have reached Kuwait. However, their dream was not materialized. Kanafani is comparing their situation to the Palestinians. Time is running out. Arabs should do something if they want to save Palestine. Otherwise, Palestine will simply die as a nation similar to what happened to the three characters in the story.
The demise of the Palestine nation is not far-fetched from happening, especially since the United States, an acknowledged super power, is bent on protecting its interest on the Israelis. In fact, it is very much possible that the time is running out for the Palestinians. Something has to be done if they want to prevent losing their home. According to Joseph N. Cleary (2002), if the Palestinians seek to prevent this from happening, they have to be awakened from the reality that their disappearance as a nation is possible. He said
“If Kanafani demands that his Palestinian readership contemplate the prospect of its own disappearance as a nation, its possible consignment to the dust-heap of history, this is ‘because averting the unthinkable seems to require us imaginatively to entertain it. To counter the possibility of such an ignominious ending, Kanafani requires that his leadership disavow the very disavowal that dismisses this fate as ‘unthinkable.’ (Joseph Cleary, 2002)
Perhaps, Kanafani thinks that no amount of United Nation intervention will help resolve the conflict. The conflict has been in existence for decades. There are nations which intervene to help settle the dispute. At best, however, their suggestions are only temporary solutions which have no lasting significance. Moreover, the motive of the nations who intervene is also questionable. Consider the United States which is known as pro-Israel in the situation. The United States is known as anti-Muslim and so it would not be possible for them to intervene in this dispute without their real intention being questioned.
Themes of Men in the Sun
Men in the Sun presents, at least four overarching themes that dictate the tone, conflict and plot of the story.
The first two themes presented are discrimination and displacement due to opportunity. Displacement is a common problem among Arabs. They are being driven out of their own homes and lands. These are best seen in the three character’s efforts and desperation to get out of their country and into Kuwait. Although it is clear enough that the three did not wish to leave their loved ones and their country if they were given the choice, they do so because the place which they aspire to be in offers better hopes of better lives for them and their families.
The third theme is the exposition of the suffering of the Arab Palestinians under the context of society and economy. Primarily, this exposition allows the common person to associate the Arab Palestinians as no lesser than any man; contrary to the Zionists’ conception of them as lesser individuals. Kanafani includes the daily strife as a common point through which every individual can associate with.
Lastly, the fourth theme presents the idea of human resource conservation. Kanafani sees that getting out of the country is not the solution to the current problem in Israel. More so, he seems to say that those who leave their country are, in fact, committing a grave sin against their country that is punishable by a harsh death.
“As we saw, the message in both stories is clearly to warn the Palestinians not to run away from their cause just for the sake of a quick fortune; instead, the should stay with their people and work on returning back to their homeland. This message is no doubt analogous to that of Kanafani’s novel “Rijal fi ash-Shams.” In”Rijal fi ash-Shams,” three Palestinian refugees try to go t Kuwait to earn a living but end up dead, penniless and buried at a trash site. Of course, in the noel Kanafani has more space to elaborate on the events, conditions, and characters than in the short stories as well as making it clear that such fate does not discriminate among the different generations.”
Works Cited
Bayat, Asef. “Activism and Social Development in the Middle East.” International Journal of Middle East Studies 34 (2002.): 1-28. Print.
Cleary, Joseph N. Literature, Partition and the Nation-State: Culture and Conflict in Ireland. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Farred, Grant. Active Lives: Legacies of Revolutionary Writing, by Barbara Harlow1999. Print.
Kilpatrick, Hilary. “Tradition and Innovation in the Fiction of Ghassan Kanafani.” Journal of Arabic Literature 7 (1976): 53-64. Print.
Kirkland. “Men in the Sun: Stories from Palestine.” All in One Boat2010. Vol. 2012. Print.
Lee, Roger A. “The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (1948 to the Present Day)”. 2012. Israel-Palestinian Conflict. Historyguy.com. March 21 2012. <http://www.historyguy.com/israeli-palestinian_conflict.html#.T2eCZ8Xxqa8>.
Shammout, Khaled Jamil. “Ghassan’s Kanafani’s Short Stories: A Critical Study.” The Ohio State University, 1995. Print.
