A Study of the Short Stories of Ghassan Kanafani, Ngugi Wa
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Newcastle University eTheses The Short Story as a Form of Resistance: A Study of the Short Stories of Ghassan Kanafani, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, and Alice Walker Submitted by: Ali Ahmad Allaham In fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervised by: Prof. Tom Cain Dr. Neelam Srivastava School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics Newcastle University March 2009 2 Abstract This thesis is a comparative study of the short stories of Ghassan Kanafani, Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Alice Walker. Although there are geographical and cultural distances which separate these authors, the fiction they wrote clearly makes their connection a tangible one. This study presents a reading of these short stories as examples of resistance literature, minority literature, postcolonialism, Marxism and realism. In it, I examine how these authors used the short story genre to engage in the struggle of their communities. The stories are interpreted as responses to specific historical moments in the Palestinian, Kenyan and African American contexts. The stories also scrutinize the colonial relations and show a kind of resistance against the hegemony of the colonizers. The themes of the stories examined in this study are colonization and the oppression, dispossession and displacement brought on by colonialism. The aim of this study is to show how Kanafani, Ngugi and Walker use their fiction, the short story genre in particular, as an arena of struggle in which they register their political convictions, and how their fiction displays their firm belief in the inevitability of change. In their short stories the history of the past is passed on to the new generations, and their task is to learn from the lessons of the past to better understand the present and plan for a better future. In short, the study aims at researching the implications of colonialism and postcolonialism in the lives of the Palestinian, Kenyan and African American peoples as portrayed in the short fiction of our authors. 3 Dedication This Thesis is dedicated to the memory of my father, Ahmad Allaham (1943-1990). He had always insisted that I should pursue higher education. I always remember this as mentioned in his will. Now I have achieved this, may his soul rest in peace, Amen! 4 Acknowledgements All praise is due to Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful I would like to express my most sincere thanks to my supervisors Prof. Tom Cain and Dr. Neelam Srivastava for their unlimited support, patience and encouragement throughout this research project. I have greatly profited from their knowledge, expertise and from the notes they have generously lavished in the course of doing this project. It has been an honor to be Dr. Srivastava’s 1st PhD student. I appreciate all her contributions of time and effort to make my PhD experience productive and stimulating. Special thanks to Dr. Mpalive Msiska from the Birkbeck University of London for externally examining the thesis, and for Dr. James Procter for his helpful feedback and suggestions in two APR meetings, and for internally examining this thesis. This study would not have possible without the scholarship granted to me by Damascus University and the Syrian Ministry of Higher Education, I am deeply indebted to them. Many thanks and appreciation to the people at the Syrian Embassy in London; special thanks to Mr. Ayman Alloush, Mr. Radwan Lutfi, and Mrs. Wafaa Ibrahim. I would like also to express my gratitude to all the staff at the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics. Special thanks to Prof. John Batchelor for his continuous help and support. Many thanks to Rowena Bryson, Melanie Birch and Rob Walton. Thanks are also due to the staff at the Robinson Library, especially the people of the Inter-library loan section. I have been fortunate to come across many funny and good friends, without whom life would be bleak. Special thanks go to Paul Batchelor, Darren Carlaw, Mowaffak Ajaj, Naglaa Thabet, Hisham, Ahmad, Omar, Mohammad, Issam, Adel, Ghiath, Miri, Hammod, Ayah, Samira, Majd, Haifaa, Nasser, Wafya, and many others. I thank them all for giving 5 me their friendship, as deep and as rich as friendship can be. Special thanks are due to my friend Niveen Kassem for lengthy discussions on Fanon and African American literature. Special thanks and an unending gratitude to my mother, Zeinat, whose prayers have always been with me, thanks also for coping with my absence for such a number of years. Thanks are also due to my brothers, Omar and Hamzeh, they have been my role models. Special thanks also to my sisters Khadija, Fatima, Nosaibah and Rukaya. They have given me their unequivocal support throughout, as always, for which my mere expression of thanks likewise does not suffice. To my life and wife Suhair, all I can say is it would take another thesis to express my deep gratitude and love for you. Your patience, love and encouragement have upheld me, particularly in those many days in which I spent more time with my computer than with you. Perhaps, I forgot someone … so, just in case: Thank You to Whom it Concerns! 6 Table of Contents The Short Story as a Form of Resistance: A Study of the Short Stories of Ghassan Kanafani, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, and Alice Walker...............................................................1 Abstract .............................................................................................................................2 Dedication .........................................................................................................................3 Acknowledgements............................................................................................................4 Table of Contents...............................................................................................................6 Chapter One: The Short Story as a Form of Resistance: A Study of the Short Stories of Ghassan Kanafani, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, and Alice Walker.................................................8 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................8 Ghassan Kanafani ..........................................................................................................9 Ngugi wa Thiong’o......................................................................................................10 Alice Walker................................................................................................................11 2. Theoretical Perspectives...............................................................................................12 2.1. The Short Story Genre...........................................................................................13 2.2. Resistance Literature.............................................................................................20 2.3. Minority Literature................................................................................................26 2.4. Postcolonialism .....................................................................................................32 2.5. Marxism................................................................................................................35 2.6. Realism.................................................................................................................38 3. Postscript .....................................................................................................................41 4. Thesis Structure ...........................................................................................................42 5. Conclusion...................................................................................................................44 Chapter Two: Ghassan Kanafani’s Resistance & Displacement: A Study of Selected Short Stories..............................................................................................................................45 7 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................45 2. Kanafani’s Short Fiction: Themes & Concerns.............................................................47 8. Conclusion.................................................................................................................116 Chapter Three: Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Modes of Resistance: A Study of Secret Lives .....117 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................117 2. Secret Lives: Themes and Concerns............................................................................119 9. Conclusion.................................................................................................................168 Chapter Four: A Reading of Alice Walker’s Feminist/Womanist Resistance: A Study of In Love and Trouble and You Can’t Keep a Good Woman Down........................................170 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................170 2. In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women & You Can’t Keep a Good Woman Down: Themes and Concerns ....................................................................................................173 3. Conclusion.................................................................................................................222