Saeed’s, the protagonist, character in a comparative analysis in: Saeed Abi Al-Nahs the Pessoptimist “Al Mutasha’l” (Habibi, 2006) and Guardian of the Lost City “Haris Al Madena Ad Die’aa” (Nasrallah, 1998) novels
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Abstract
This study presents a depiction of the character of the protagonist (Saeed) in two contemporary novels, Saeed Abi Al-Nahs the Pessoptimist by Emile Habibi, first published in 1974 (Habibi, 1997), and (The Guardian of the Lost City) by Ibrahim Nasrallah (Nasrallah). Both are contemporary Palestinian novelists. The first lived most of his life, died, and was buried in occupied Palestine; the second lived most of his life in Jordan, and is still alive. Saeed’s character in the two novels plays the heroic role, who suffers from his own crises that shape his relationships in society as well as his perception of the difficult reality he lives in. This study presents a comparison between these two ambiguous personalities who present a special perception of unhappiness, anxiety, sadness, and falling into historical ambiguities and life circumstances. This comparison was made by examining the following aspects: An introduction to Saeed’s character in the two novels: Saeed Abi Al-Nahs the Pessoptimist and the Guardian of the Lost City, Saeed character in The Strange Facts in the Disappearance of Saeed, Abi Al-Nahs the Pessoptimist, Symbolism of Saeed Abi Al-Nahs the Pessoptimist character, Saeed Abi Al-Nahs the Pessoptimist who represents Emile Habibi, character formation of Saeed Abi Al-Nahs The Pessoptimist, the fateful fate of Saeed in Saeed Abi Al-Nahs the Pessoptimist, irony and ambiguity in The Guardian of the Lost City title, Saeed the Guardian of the Lost City, Saeed’s journey in his city in The Guardian of the Lost City, and finally, a conclusion and results.
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Emile Habibi (1921- 1996) is a Palestinian writer who was born in Haifa. He completed his secondary education in both Acre and there. He started out as a construction laborer before becoming a presenter on Al-Quds Radio. After that, he resigned to work as an employee in Mandate army camps, then as an editor in the newspaper Al-Ittihad, and in 1946, he founded the Haifa-based Al-Muhamaz magazine. After the foundation of the Zionist state, he battled against the British mandate and its customs. He was chosen as one of its representatives in the Zionist entity’s Knesset, and he remained a member of it until 1972, when he resigned to devote himself to writing. The Palestine Liberation Organization awarded him the Jerusalem Medal, the highest Palestinian decoration, in 1990. When the Zionist entity gave him the Creativity Award in 1992, Palestinian and Arab voices urged him to refuse it. He accepted the honor and then declared his donation of its monetary worth to the Islamic Maqasid Association, which cares for Intifada wounded. In his final year, Emil was busy editing a literary magazine called Masharef, and when he died in May 1996, he requested that these lines be placed on his grave: “Staying in Haifa.” His literary works, such as Sextuple of the Six Days, The Strange Incidents in the Disappearance of Saeed Abi Al-Nahs the Pessoptimist, Loka’ Bin Loka’, and Khorafiat Saraya Bint Al-Ghoul, have left indelible fingerprints on the Arabic novel.
Ibrahim Nasrallah (1954 -) is a Palestinian writer who was born in Amman in. In 1976, he received a diploma in education and psychology from UNRWA teachers. He worked as a teacher in Saudi Arabia and in Jordanian newspapers such as Al-Rai, Al-Dustour, Voice of the People, Markets, and Al-Hassad Magazine. He was a cultural counselor and activity coordinator at the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, as well as a member of the Jordanian Writers Association. Among his works are: Wild Waves (novel), Awo (novel), Only Two (novel), Storms of the Heart (poetry), Morning songs (poetry), Birds of Caution (novel), Streets Olive (novel), The Guardian of the Lost City (novel), The Eraser Child (novel), Safe Weddings (novel), Under the Morning Sun (novel), The Time of White Horses (novel), Lanterns of the King of Galilee (novel), The Spirits of Kilimanjaro (novel), The Three Bells (novel) The Second Dog War (novel).
Samih al-Qasim (1939-2014) is a well-known modern Arab and Palestinian poet whose name is synonymous with Palestinian revolution and resistance poetry. He was a member of the Communist Party in the past. He was born in 1939 to a Druze family in Zarqa and educated in Palestine’s Ramah and Nazareth institutions. He began his career as a teacher, then moved on to political activity in the Communist Party before leaving the party to focus on his literary work. More Grief than Water, Selected and New Poems, and the Complete Works of the Poet Samih al-Qasim are among his many collections.