In 'Men in the Sun' it's interesting to note how the exilic figure associates with the land from which he's been exiled. In the opening paragraphs of the book, Kanafani writes, 'the earth began to throb under him with tired beats' and 'every time he breathed the scent of the earth, he imagined that he was sniffing his wife's hair when she had just walked out of the bathroom.' Kanafani continues to show this very intimate connection with the land, almost lending it anthropomorphic qualities. By it's very nature he shows that the land is something that is to be considered as something alive, something that breathes and sustains life. While at the same time it alienates the Abu Qais by virtue of living in exile. Another interesting aspect is how land itself, coarse barren sand, becomes a way of belonging to a particular region and anchoring the life of a figure to a particular tradition.
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