Comparison of 3 Novels by Arabs

Dammaj seeks to portray the horrendous circumstances which existed in pre-revolutionary Yemen of the 1940s, and specifically the practice of hostage-taking which was a part of that land's culture. As such, it is a protest against and condemnation of that practice and its destructive impact on the novel's young protagonist.

Munif's novel takes a wider focus, but essentially deals with the same destructive impact of social, political, cultural, economic and political turmoil on individuals who are completely overwhelmed by circumstances and powers far greater than themselves. Specifically, Munif seeks to portray the exploitation and disruption of the small and poor village of Arabs by Americans after oil is discovered in the vicinity. The book is a cross-cultural examination of what happens when two peoples---one poor and weak and the other rich and powerful---collide.

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but doggedly . . . they saw things take a new turn. . . . Their fears vanished, or at least retreated (Munif 206-207). The community adapts, but in the way that slaves adapt to the plantation. Among them are those Arabs who recognize the severity of the threat the Americans pose: "Say what you want, but I'm afraid we've lost our world and our faith" (Munif 220). Munif's novel covers more imaginative and moral territory than do the other two books, but that it the main problem with Cities of Salt. The author has simply bitten off more than the reader can chew. We are left somewhat bewildered as to the moral message of his book, but that may be the very design of the author. By the end of the book, we are certain that the Americans are included in the author's moral indictment, but it seems that the Arabs are also indicted. After all, they have taken part in their own misery and subjugation and the violence which inevitably ensued. We are finally left somewhat in the air with respect to the fate of these people: "Trust in God, man," one character says, to which another answers, "God only knows. . . . Hope for the best. No one can read the future" (Munif 627). The disruption and diaspora of the Palestinian people in Jabra's nov
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Approximate Word count = 1906
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)