Man’s deep relationship with the land (Men in the Sun)

‘Men in the Sun’ by Ghassan Kanafani pays great attention to the relationship between man and land. In addition to various references throughout the text, this is especially established in how the novel both begins and ends with an emphasis on the ground.

The author launches his novella with the idea of the earth reflecting the emotions of one of the protagonists. Abu Qais has just visited someone whose job is to smuggle people in hope of better lives to Kuwait. Upon learning he cannot afford the journey to achieve his lofty ambitions, his first action is to go lie down on the ‘damp earth’, reflecting it as a source of comfort in moments of trouble. There is also an enormous amount of truth in his neighbour’s apparently sarcastic statement on the sounds the earth was creating:

“It’s the sound of your own heart. You can hear it when you lay your chest close to the ground.” ^[1]

This dialogue is reflective of how the earth echoes the innermost sentiments of a human’s heart. It also sparks off connotations of the unity of man and the ground.

Moreover, he throws himself down on the land with his ‘chest’ ^[2], illustrating the innate intimacy that man feels for the ground. We can almost see this deep relationship as a biological one because of the proximity of his ‘chest’, a part of the human anatomy, to the ground. The biological, natural aspect is further endorsed by Abu Qais’analogy of the scent of the ground to the fragrance of his wife’s wet hair ^[3]. This comparison to a female who has a huge role in his everyday life gives the relationship between man and the land a feminine, almost sensual aspect.

The land’s nature as gentle, accepting and tolerant is also depicted in this analogy. Kanafani has used the symbol of a woman who is generally viewed as a passive creature to help describe Abu Qais’ feelings for the land as similar to ‘carrying a small bird tenderly in your hands’.^[4]

Kanafani also uses the idea of the damp ground ^[5] as a symbol of the hope that still lingers for the Palestinians, the invasion of whose land has resulted in them becoming victims of poverty, despair and loneliness. This dampness is like a ray of hope in this dark time of exile for these helpless figures.

There is also a reference to Abu Qais’ desire to go to Kuwait so he can ‘buy one or two olive shoots’.^[6]This is another reference to land as significant to the survival of man, because this was his means of earning a livelihood back home, and something he wishes to acquire for better living once in Kuwait.

Kanafani uses the idea of the land as a grave to end his literary masterpiece. This could be a reference to the Muslim belief of humans having been created from dust and the Muslim ritual of burying the dead in the very earth from which they were created. Abu Khaizuran ‘s thoughts  too show his desire to bury his companions ^[7]. In this context, the land is painted as the place we can trace our origins back to and a place we will find our final resting place in.

[1] page 21

[2] page 21

[3]page 21

[4]page 21

[5] page 22

[6]page27

[7]page 72