Men in the Sun

Description

Men in the Sun” is the name given to a novella that the Palestinian litterateur Ghassan Kanafani penned in 1969. The story runs about three Palestinian men-Abu Qais, Maron, and Khalil-who embark on a dangerous journey towards Kuwait, seeking better work opportunities and more humane conditions instead of living in extremely hard and humiliating refugee camps.

The story reflects the struggles, hopes, and realities they face while trying to cross into Kuwait. In desperation and determination, they opt for hiding in a water tanker to stay safe from being spotted. However, while going through the sweaty heat and cramped space, their hopes began to dwindle that they will reach the other end, and themes of despair, sacrifice, and search for dignity started resurfacing again.

Kanafani taps into the richness of experience from the Palestinian literature that addresses issues of dislocation, identity, and a yearned-for homeland. The novella is strong in its prose and symbolism, evoking both life and oppression faced by the characters in its use of imagery centered around the sun.

“Men in the Sun” stands stark, indeed, as commentary on the suffering of the Palestinian; in that light alone it is important literature not just within Middle Eastern but also in the Palestinian narrative.