This particular dialogue stood out to me as one that
epitomizes Kanafani’s message in his novel “men in the sun”, which is that of
an individual struggling to create a place for himself in a land both
physically and to some extent spiritually, and in essence looking for some sort
of space where he can “breathe” and moreover live. And it is through the course
of the novel that we see that there is no place for the three men, that in fact
the air for them runs out, and their death then symbolizes a physical
embodiment of their mental state, which is utterly displaced and fighting a
battle to gain some semblance of a meaningful existence.
Furthermore the words indicate an almost selfish struggle
for one’s own existence and apathy towards the other yet all the partaking in a
moral struggle to appear more human and justify the decisions each of them have
made. We see this clearly represented in Assad’s intention of escaping his
engagement and Abu khaizuran drinking the water while the rest watch him. In
contrast we see that a relationship does form between the men however this
relationship cannot survive because it is neither true nor possible in the
exilic figures life. Hence even the journey itself can be seen as an attempt on
their part to find air to breathe, and in essence create a life for themselves
in a place that although may be alien might be kinder to them then what they
have been facing. Finally the phrase is a representation of abu qais’s
helplessness where all he can do as he lies between what he has left behind and
what lies ahead is breathe his share of air, and hence this symbolizes the lack
of control each of them have on their lives, where on one hand abu khaizuran is
unable to come to terms with his castration and Marwan struggles to fill his
fathers shoes at a point in his life where he cannot even fill his own.
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