Re: 7/18 Men in the sun

[aoikaori]

Men in the Sun by Ghassan Kanafani

참석자 : 실비, 데이지, 조디, 포틴, 엘리나, 리비, 엠제이

진행 : 아오이

1. General Impression (have you ever read the books for Palestinian or Palestine?)

Men in the Sun (in 1962):

2. Why did the characters have to cross the border hidden inside a suffocating, hot water tank? What does this tank show about the harsh reality faced by refugees?

3.After the men die, the driver Abul Khaizuran cries out, "Why didn't you knock on the sides of the tank?" Why do you think they remained silent? (Were they too afraid, or had they completely lost hope?)

4. The three main characters (Abu Qais, Assad, and Marwan) are from different generations and backgrounds. What is each person’s reason for risking their life to go to Kuwait? Was Abul a vilan or a victim?

5. The men leave not to fight for their homeland, but to earn money and save their families. What message do you think the author wanted to send through this tragic ending?

Letter from Gaza (in 1956):

6. The narrator's friend lives a comfortable life in California, and the narrator planned to join him. Why did the narrator choose to give up his American dream at the very last moment?

7. The narrator completely changes his mind after visiting his injured niece, Nadia, in the hospital. What did Nadia's condition and actions make the narrator realize?

8. At first, Gaza is described as a poor, hopeless town. By the end of the story, how does the meaning of Gaza change for the narrator?

Both :

9. The characters in Men in the Sun meet a tragic end while trying to flee their homeland, while the protagonist in Letter from Gaza decides to stay. If you were in their shoes, would you stay in a difficult and dangerous homeland, or leave for a better life?

오늘 참여한 모든 멤버가 팔레스타인 관련 책은 이번이 처음이라고 얘기해주셨습니다.

현재 진행형의 이야기이고, 딱히 해답이 없음을 알기에 이야기할수록 더 우울함을 느끼게 된 시간이었던 것 같습니다 (한국에 살고 있음에 감사한 현실).

살아야 뭐든 할 수 있으므로 어느 길이든 생존할 수 있는 방법을 택한다는 의견이 많았는데요, 살아있어야 기회가 있기 때문이 아닐까 생각합니다.

작가는 팔레스타인 해방전선의 대변인으로 아랍권 국가에서는 대단히 위대한 인물로 자동차 폭발로 인해 사망했는데 그 사건을 두고 주변 국가에서는 암살이라고 확신한다고 하네요.

다양한 이야기를 공유할 수 있어서 좋았고, 참석해주셔서 감사합니다!