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Reflect on the way memory and storytelling interact throughout the story.

What effects do the characters' recollections of the past have on how they perceive their current situation? And in light of Palestinian displacement, how does Kanafani examine the complexity of identity and belonging through the narration of the protagonist?

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The situation in Palestine remains in a political stalemate, with ongoing tensions between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel over issues such as borders, settlements, and Palestinian statehood (Council on Foreign Relations, n.d.).

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Edward Said's "The Question of Palestine" PDF link

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Edward Said's "The Question of Palestine" PDF link

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The intricate use of an epistolary novel in “Letters from Gaza” provides a profound exploration of the multifaceted challenges faced by Palestinians, allowing the narration to encompass issues of identity, heritage, interpersonal relationships, and societal complexities.

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Kanafani often focuses on the impact of conflict on children.

Discuss how "Letters from Gaza" portrays the innocence of children amidst war and political strife. What commentary does Kanafani seem to be making about the future of these children and their societies?

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"Letter from Gaza" is considered a timeless piece of literature that continues to hold importance in today's society.

What does the protagonist's relationship with his family—his mother and his brother's widow, in particular—reveal about the ongoing conflict in Palestine?

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"Letters from Gaza" is a story narrated from the perspective of an anonymous protagonist who, after years of isolating himself in Kuwait, returns to his destroyed hometown of Gaza. The letter is addressed to his friend, Mustafa, who was already transplanted from Gaza to Sacramento, awaiting his friend to follow.

The letter circulates on the protagonist, always hoping to leave Gaza and seek a life abroad where there is greenery and lovely faces. In his last mission before finally uprooting himself from his hometown, he visited his mother, his brother's widow, and their children, who were left in Gaza after the 1948 expulsion. After discovering the tragic incidents that had happened in Gaza and to his family, his point of view completely changed.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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source: Cruz, Margaret. “Historical Timeline - Question of Palestine.” Question of Palestine, 28 Dec. 2023, www.un.org/unispal/historical-timeline.

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The Gaza Strip continues to face economic hardship and humanitarian challenges due to the Israeli blockade, limiting access to essential resources and hindering reconstruction efforts (BBC News, 2023).

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Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank persists, leading to displacement of Palestinian communities and exacerbating tensions in the region (B'Tselem, 2017).

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Incidents of violence and clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters occur intermittently, fueling resentment and instability (Al Jazeera, n.d.).

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Efforts by the international community to broker peace and negotiate a two-state solution have been largely ineffective, with diplomatic initiatives facing numerous obstacles and setbacks (United Nations, 2024).

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Palestinians continue to face a humanitarian crisis marked by poverty, lack of access to basic services, and restrictions on movement, particularly in Gaza (UNRWA, 2024).

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WATCH "John Berger reads Ghassan Kanafani's 'Letter from Gaza'" for a more immersive read

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WATCH "John Berger reads Ghassan Kanafani's 'Letter from Gaza'" for a more immersive read

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John Berger reads Ghassan Kanafani's 'Letter from Gaza'

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Ghassan Kanafani was a man of many talents and an exceptionally creative individual. Born on April 9, 1936, in Acre, Kanafani was a Palestinian playwright, author, political activist, and journalist. He was wed to Anni Høver, a Danish activist, and they had two children.

He started his studies in Jaffa's Collège des Frères; however, he and his family were forced to flee Jaffa when he was twelve years old to avoid the city falling to Zionist forces in 1948. They took sanctuary in Lebanon before eventually relocating to Damascus, Syria.

He began his career in exile, operating a printing press. Later, he moved newspapers and worked in a restaurant. He studied both during the day and at night until he earned his high school diploma in 1953. After that, he worked as an art teacher in UNRWA schools in Damascus.

He pursued his education in public schools. Once he completed high school in 1955, he enrolled at Damascus University and spent three years studying Arabic literature. Shortly afterward, he was banished for political reasons. He then began working as a teacher in UNRWA schools in Damascus.

He first met George Habash, a Palestinian revolutionary and political leader, in Damascus while employed as an editor at the Al-Rai printing business, which published an Arab Nationalist Movement journal. In 1954, he joined the movement.

In 1955, he was employed by the Al-Rai newspaper in Damascus. Later that year, he joined one of his sisters in Kuwait, where he spent five years teaching physical education and the arts.

In 1960, he departed Kuwait to work for the Al-Horria newspaper and was appointed chief editor of Al-Hadaf (The Target), a weekly magazine that served as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's (PFLP) propaganda, in 1969.

He wrote under the aliases Fares Fares or A.F. He served as the Union of Palestinian Writers' representative at the 1971 Cairo sessions of the Union of Arab Writers' executive office. Notably, he served time in prison on several occasions—the most recent being in 1971 when he was accused of "slander and defamation" of King Hussein and King Faisal in Al-Hadaf magazine.

On July 8, 1972, he was murdered in the Al-Hazmieh neighborhood of Beirut, together with his niece, using an Israeli Mossad agent-made IED that detonated under his car.

source: Jadaliyya. “Ghassan Kanafani: A Profile from the Archives.” Jadaliyya - جدلية, 10 July 2017, www.jadaliyya.com/Details/30723.