Condensed Realities: Examining the Palestinian Experience in the Works of Three Contemporary Palestinian Writers

Dorit Gottesfeld and Rami Abu-Hamad

Contemporary Review of the Middle East, 2025, vol. 12, issue 4, 464-483

Abstract: This article examines the lived Palestinian experience as reflected in very short stories written by three contemporary Palestinian writers—NajÄ« áº’Ä hir, MaḥmÅ«d Shuqayr, and YÅ«suf Ḥiá¹­á¹­Ä«nÄ«. It identifies three primary writing trends emerging from the works: (a) a social trend, reflected in áº’Ä hir’s writing; (b) a national-political trend, evident in Shuqayr’s works; and (c) a romantic trend, characteristic of Ḥiá¹­á¹­Ä«nī’s stories. The article offers a thematic and stylistic analysis of the literary texts, comparing them to highlight their diverse perspectives and the distinct narrative styles they employ. It demonstrates how each writer draws inspiration not only from personal artistic inclinations but also from the geopolitical realities that shape their narratives. The article illustrates how, through concise language and compressed meaning, literary texts not only reflect contemporary Palestinian sociopolitical realities and identity challenges, but also contribute to the construction of cultural and political awareness.

Keywords: Palestinian literature; NajÄ« áº’Ä hir; MaḥmÅ«d Shuqayr; YÅ«suf Ḥiá¹­á¹­Ä«nÄ«; the very short story (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:crmide:v:12:y:2025:i:4:p:464-483

DOI: 10.1177/23477989251370425

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