<p>The writer’s political voice is prominent, but we still found the story itself engaging. We didn’t talk much about the backgrounds of the three men—why they were trying to go to Kuwait—but their different reasons reveal a great deal about the situation in Gaza. For instance, Marwan now has to support his family because his father abandoned them and moved in with a crippled woman who had a stable source of income.</p><p>Starting with the introduction of the three men, the story develops through their meeting with Abul, a tank lorry driver who works for a smuggler and wants to earn some extra money by transporting people across the borders, and follows their journey to Kuwait as they cross two borders. The scene at the second border checkpoint is the climax of the story, where Abul tries to speed up the inspection while the border officials jokingly accuse him of spending time with a girl. This is a paradoxical irony and an example of black humor, since Abul lost his manhood in the war.</p><p>We discussed whether Abul is just another victim or whether he is also culpable for the deaths of the three men. We also speculated about the effects of extreme heat and dehydration on the human body, as well as the structure of the tank lorry (especially its top hatch).</p><p>I liked the story because, despite its political narrative, it skillfully combines many elements of both popular fiction and literary fiction.</p>
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첫댓글 와~ 감상평 감사드립니다!^^