Home is not merely a place to live in; it is a multidimensional concept involving a house, a family, a sense of security, and a personal and cultural identity. One can better understand the multifaceted nature of home if one examines Palestinians’ experiences after their forcible eviction from their homeland in the 1948 national catastrophe called Nakba (Harker 322). At that time, about 750,000 Palestinians were forced to abandon their homes and seek shelter in neighboring countries or refugee camps (Albadawi 44). Najwan Darwish, a contemporary Arab poet, reflected these Palestinian experiences in his poem, “Barely Breathing.” This paper will use this poem to explore how literature helps get a better understanding of cities and urban homes in Palestine. It will be argued that literature shows that urban homes in Palestine are much more than physical buildings since they are part of Palestinians’ personal and national identity.
Darwish’s poem conveys the author’s bitterness about the desolated land and distorted Palestinians’ national identity. The poet frequently uses such words as “abandoned homes,” “desolation,” “abandoned houses,” and “abandonment,” indicating that the events of 1948 and subsequent years have been deeply engraved in Palestinians’ perception of their homes (Darwish 2, 6, 8, 17). After Israel declared its independence, thousands of Palestinians had to leave their homes. Many of their houses were destroyed to the point of “complete obliteration” or at least “major destruction” (Harker 322). Darwish reflects this physical dimension of Palestinian homes at the beginning of his poem: “Sorrow pours from the rooms / while I, like a ghost, enter your abandoned homes” (Darwish 1-2). Thus, the literature suggests that the physical aspect is the most evident but nonetheless important aspect of Palestinian homes.
Further, the poem demonstrates the complexity of the concept of home. The narrator says, “They weigh on me – these abandoned houses, / this desertion that fills your homes” (Darwish 8-9). These lines show that a loss of home depresses Palestinians, demonstrating that there are other non-physical dimensions of the concept of home. As Blunt and Dowling state, home is a multi-scalar notion, incorporating such aspects as spatiality, familial relations, social relations, and national politics (30). For Palestinians in particular, home is associated with family and security (Harker 324). Hence, when these people have been deprived of their homes, they have lost a significant part of their self-identity. Darwish reflects it in the poem, saying that the abandoned houses have “hollowed hearts” (10). This phrase implies that the author views houses as living entities rather than inanimate physical structures. When their owners left, their hearts became hollow, and, perhaps, the same can be said about people who used to inhabit them. Thus, literature gives an insight into the non-physical dimensions of Palestinian cities and homes.
The poem also sheds light on how Palestinian homes are integrated into individuals’ national identities. The narrator refers to Arabs, Persians, and Byzantines, stating that they cannot “feel” him (Darwish 11). The next line says, “Didn’t I ever have a history?” (Darwish 12). In this passage, the author may imply that Palestinians are no longer compared to other nations because, having lost their homes, they have been deprived of their history. Thus, this poem shows another dimension of Palestinian homes – the one that constitutes Palestinians’ national identity.
Although not dealing with it explicitly, the poem suggests that the right of return is essential for Palestinians in the context of their homes. The right of return concept means that all Palestinian refugees and their descendants are entitled to return to the property where they used to live (Albadawi 44). According to a survey, this right is important for Palestinians; 51% of respondents were willing to return to their original homes, and 23% wanted to resettle in the Palestinian State (Albadawi 55). These findings suggest that Palestinians found their homeland important and viewed their return as the restoration of justice and their national identity. According to Blunt and Dowling, home is a fluid concept that can vary in space and time under the influence of wider power relations (27). It suggests that, although Palestinians may currently call refuge settlements their homes, they are willing to exercise their right of return to restore their original homes to which they are bound with childhood memories, familiar relations, and national identity.
In conclusion, literature can help one understand Palestinian urban homes because it shows their multiple non-physical dimensions. With the focus on the topic of homeland, contemporary Palestinian literature can bring attention to the symbolic meaning of home and the importance of Palestinian resistance. In particular, Darwish’s poem demonstrates that the loss of homes is major distress for Palestinians, undermining their national identity and depriving them of their history. Palestinian homes are more than physical spaces; in people’s minds, they are closely connected to family and a sense of security. Therefore, it would be incorrect to view the destruction of their houses in merely statistical terms. Given the importance of homes for Palestinians, the right of return has a large significance, especially for those generations who witnessed or experienced the forcible eviction.
Works Cited
Albadawi, Sobhi. “Is the Right of Return Still Desirable and Sacred Among Palestinian Refugees?” The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, vol. 23, no. 1, 2021, pp. 43–59.
Blunt, Alison, and Robyn Dowling. Home. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2022.
Darwish, Najwan. “Barely Breathing.” World Literature Today, Web.
Harker, Christopher. “Spacing Palestine through the Home.” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, vol. 34, no. 3, 2009, pp. 320–332.