Resurrecting the Holy Land through Literature: Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin and Radwa Ashour’s The Woman from Tantoura as Case Studies

Abstract

This dissertation examines the representation of the Palestinian land in contemporary Palestinian- themed fiction, focusing on Susan Abulhawa's Mornings in Jenin (2010) and Radwa Ashour’s The Woman from Tantoura (2010). In doing so, the research deconstructs the entrenched Zionist ideology that claimed the Holy Land was empty and addresses the broader historical context of Palestine. Through a close reading of the narratives, the research explores how the legacy of the land is portrayed in both works. Drawing on the perspectives of postcolonial theory, postcolonial ecocriticism, ecofeminism, and postcolonial feminism, the study investigates how the Palestinian land functions both as a witness to colonial violence and as a symbol of ancestral existence before and after Al-Nakba in 1948. Additionally, it considers how female agency emerges through reciprocal relationships with place and memory. It also highlights women’s conditions during war, particularly experiences of sexual violence. By situating these novels within broader ecological and postcolonial feminist frameworks, the study sheds light on how the intersecting oppressions of colonial powers, war, and patriarchy are resisted through storytelling. Moreover, the research contributes to the growing recognition of contemporary women's fiction in shaping literary discussions around war. Ultimately, this dissertation reveals how these works give voice to both collective and personal loss by engaging with the land as a living archive of Palestinian history. It also addresses how literature defends Palestine through aesthetic acts of resurrection and narrative reclamation.