Al-Awda: The Theme of Return in Contemporary Arabic Literature: A Case-Study of Samira 'Azzam (Critical Essay‪)‬

Although many previous studies have focused on issues related to the Palestinian experience, discussing such themes as heroism, humanism, woman's role in the conflict, the uprising ("Al-Intifada") or the peace process, no previous study has dealt with the important and recurring theme of the "Return" (Al-Awada). My aim in this paper is to show how Arabic fiction has dealt with this national experience, how it depicted those who live the dream of "Return" and those who physically returned to Palestine either after the 1967 war or after the Oslo Accords. The concept of "Return" throughout this literature manifests itself in various ways including the spiritual return (as manifested in dreams and aspirations); the literal, physical return; an individual's return (a "Return" on the basis of family reunions); the "Return" as a result of the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank after the war of 1967; and the "Return" as a result of the peace process after the "Oslo Accords." I have limited myself in this paper to the study of the pattern of return in Samira 'Azzam's short stories, hoping to shed some light on this neglected motif in Arab literature.