Men in the Sun: The Symbolism of the Black Crow

Most readers would view the black bird in Kanafani’s novella as a crow ^[1]. In several cultures, these creatures are regarded as omens of death and tragedy. Kanafani probably employed this bird to establish a sense of foreboding from the very beginning of his literary work. Norse mythology regards crows as divine messengers, which in context of this story, could be viewed as God’s way of warning Abu Qais of his impending doom in the form of a terrible, painful death.

The black hue of the bird can also additionally reflect how the bird is unable to fully adapt to the ‘blazing white’ sky, further depicting how impossible it was to survive in the heat and suffocation of the extremely dark and dingy water tanker that the Palestinians had inhabited at the check posts to evade the eyes of the inspectors stationed there ^[2].

Moreover, the dark shade of the bird’s body as contrasted with the white sky can be juxtaposed with the idea of the gloomy period of exile a refugee has to undergo after the happy time at home. This notion is further endorsed by the fact that white is considered to be a colour of peace, the white dove in particular exhibiting the theme of harmony. This bird is unable to connect to the purity of the white sky and thus the author’s belief of the crow as a harbinger of evil and negativity in an atmosphere of hope and positivity is depicted in the part when he terms the bird as a ‘black spot in that blaze’. ^[3] He has earlier described this blaze as ‘white’. ^[4]

Another vital idea that this part of the text promotes is that of the sentiments of isolation and solitude that the Palestinian exilic figures are associated with. The crow is circling ‘high up’, disconnected from the balance that is indicated by the stable ground. ^[5] Kanafani also describes it as ‘alone and aimless’ and as ‘circling around alone’^[6],lending support to the feelings of loneliness that anyone in exile can relate to, the lack of direction in their lives and the deprivation of a place they can truly call home. This is further illustrated by Kanafani in Abu Qais’ bitter emotions of feeling like a ‘stranger’, driving him to the point of breaking down. ^[7]

Furthermore, a bird is commonly known a species with a tendency to migrate with the changing weather conditions and in search of nourishment, thus evoking connotations of the Palestinians’ desire to move to places that offered them relatively loftier lifestyles, better sustenance and a means to provide for their dependents.

Lastly, through a close reading of this paragraph, we can also see how Kanafani wants us to see the black bird and white sky as symbolic of how Abu Qais’ has suddenly realized the stark reality of his exilic existence. The black bird as standing out against the white sky bears spurs the idea of seeing things ‘in black and white’, after which the person concerned recognizes what it truly means to be in exile.

^[1] pg 22

^[2] pg 71

^[3] pg 22

^[4] pg 21

^[5] pg 22

^[6] pg 22

^[7] pg 22

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