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POST-COLONIAL FICTION.
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Two novels based on their authors' experiences.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Two novels based on their authors' experiences. Sahar Khalifsh's "WILD THORNS" and its theme of the economic dependence of the Palestinian people on Israel. Protagonist's decision to become a terrorist. Richard Kim's novel "LOST NAMES:SCENES FROM A KOREAN BOYHOOD." Impact of Japanese occupation and elimination of studies of Korean in schools. Effects of oppression and occupation.
Paper Introduction:
Post-colonial fiction is characterized by its authors' experiences as witnesses to occupation by foreign powers. Sahar Khalifeh’s Wild Thorns and Richard E. Kim’s Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood both capture the devastating impact of the political and socioeconomic oppression of the foreign and colonial occupation on their homelands. Both authors lived through the events they wrote about -- the cultivation of the economic dependence of the Palestinian people on Israel (Khalifeh 21), the elimination of the studies of Korean from schools (Kim 117), along with the brutal oppression of dissident activities. In both cases, the Israeli and Japanese occupiers had sought to stifle the Palestinians’ and Koreans’ efforts to assert their nationalist identities and aspirations (Khalifeh 73; Kim 6). The focus of this paper is to examine the diverse
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Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood. Although none of the characters inKim's novel decided to engage in terrorist actions, characters such as theprotagonist himself and his second grade Korean teacher who came to hisdefense were individuals who dared to assert their rights and identitiesagainst Japanese authorities (42-3). In both cases, the Israeli andJapanese occupiers had sought to stifle the Palestinians' and Koreans'efforts to assert their nationalist identities and aspirations (Khalifeh73; Kim 6). The smell of burning dung. Nonetheless, theprotagonist's father's generation had also been weakened by years ofsubmission and inactivity. The oppression of the colonial forces had different effects onindividual characters in both novels. Even as he attempted to justify histerrorist acts by asserting that he was a "martyr to the cause," Usamastill clung to images of survival and domestic bliss: "[his mother]. New York, NY: Interlink Books, 2 .Kim, Richard E. At the same time, as with the protagonist's father in LostNames, Adil also held onto his nationalist identity and unity by fightingfor the rights of the Palestinian people within the limits of the Israelisystem. Their responses occupied a widespectrum. Post-colonial fiction is characterized by its authors' experiences aswitnesses to occupation by foreign powers. Works CitedKhalifeh, Sahar. On one extreme werethe Korean detectives who collaborated with the Japanese colonizers toarrest political protesters (Kim 5). Similarly, in Lost Names, the Japanese occupation from 1932 to 1945also had extreme effects on the individual characters. Nonetheless, with his concessions to Israeli authority anddependence on Israel, Adil, along with his Palestinian counterparts, alsoexperienced a sense of defeat that was aptly captured by his perceptions ashe awaited the destruction of his house. They had submitted to the authority of the occupiers inorder to ensure the survival of their families and their larger community.However, they continued to hold onto their nationalist aspirations andfight for their people's rights within the limitations of the occupation.For instance, when the Korean people were forced to replace their Koreannames with Japanese ones, the Korean people asserted their identity, unityand strength by wearing black armbands to mourn the loss of their names andmarching in one big group to the police station (Kim 1 -2). Although he was filled with angerand frustration at the injustices of his occupation, he had to admit thathe had been "unable to assert [his] own rights or anyone else's" (Khalifeh2 6). Wild Thorns. In the same way, most of the Palestinian people's nationalistidentities and aspirations in Wild Thorns had been buried under theirconcerns for survival. In this scene,Shahada flaunted his wealth by showing off his material possessions(Khalifeh 9 -2). Sahar Khalifeh's Wild Thornsand Richard E. More significantly, beneath all their submission to theircolonizers' authority, they were able to maintain the unity and the spiritof the Korean community during the difficult times. When the Japanese Emperor surrendered, hisfather and his peers needed the guidance of the protagonist, who was only13 years old, to provide them with a strategy to take over the town (Kim18 -2). For example, Usama decided to reclaim his homeland by becoming aterrorist (Khalifeh 5). Theoven fire. As pointedout by the protagonist's mother, the protagonist's father and hisgeneration had succeeded in "[keeping] all of [them] alive to this day"(Kim 182). Trevor LeGassick and Elizabeth Fernea. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1998. The focus of this paper is to examine the diverse effects ofthe oppressive methods depicted in the two novels. For example, when his friend Abu Sabir lost his fingers, Adilpersisted with his effort to win compensation for the former (Khalifeh152). Shahadaexemplified one of the Palestinians who had abandoned his distinctiveidentity as a Palestinian in his rampant pursuit of wealth. For Adil, the leader of the Palestinians who workin Israel, his primary concern was to feed the nine people in his family(Khalifeh). The difficultdecisions undertaken by these characters thus illuminate the tragedy of warand occupation and its devastating impact on the unwilling individualscaught in their midst. Both authors livedthrough the events they wrote about -- the cultivation of the economicdependence of the Palestinian people on Israel (Khalifeh 21), theelimination of the studies of Korean from schools (Kim 117), along with thebrutal oppression of dissident activities. This paper has examined the multiple impacts of foreign and colonialoccupation on the oppressed peoples of Palestine and Korea. Yet it is important to note that Usman alsoexperienced a conflict of emotions in his extremist decision, which wereilluminated before his death. Trans. On the other extreme end of the spectrum, some of the Palestinianpeople had succumbed to their economic dependence on Israel by substitutingtheir nationalist principles with material acquisitions. Wedding celebrations..." (Khalifeh185). In the twostories, some of the characters either opted to defy the occupationalpowers by embracing their nationalist identities at all costs or renouncedtheir nationalist identities to associate with the foreign powers.However, most of the characters had sought to accomplish the seeminglyirreconcilable objectives of ensuring the survival of their people andholding onto their nationalist identities and visions. Kim's Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood both capturethe devastating impact of the political and socioeconomic oppression of theforeign and colonial occupation on their homelands. Apart from the characters with extreme responses to the occupations,many of the central characters in the two books such as the protagonist'sfather in Lost Names and Adil in Wild Thorns occupied neutral positions onthis spectrum.
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