Change is Needed: What’s in Common between Assia Djebbar’s “Children of the New World” and Sahar Khalifeh’s “Wild Thorns” in Portraying Their Home Countries?

Abstract

Assia Djebbar’s Children of the New World and Sahar Khalifeh’s Wild Thorns seem to be involved in a parallel fights. However, it is not immediately clear their attitude in the fight. To answer this question, I employed Bakhtin's concept of dialogue and multi-voicedness (carnivalesque) to understand the novels' meaning and the role of ideology in cultural artifacts. Jameson's political unconscious, particularly the second horizon (social) is utilized to analyze what the novels potentially respond to. The descriptive comparative method is employed to examine the distinct features and themes of each work. From the data analysis, I discovered that there is indeed a parallel in the resistances waged by both novel. In Wild Thorns, the theme of dead ends and desperate actions faced by Palestinians is explored, encompassing economic, gender, and resistance-related struggles. The novel highlights the need for radical societal transformation. In Children of the New World, the shift from domestic to public relationships during the Algerian war of independence is depicted. The novel emphasizes steadfastness, confrontation, and departure as forms of resistance, urging a break from limiting domestic bonds. In the final analysis, the paper argues that both novels offer unique perspectives on resistance and challenge conventional narratives. They demand a reevaluation of various aspects of resistance and advocate for comprehensive societal change.