Militarization of Childhood: a Reading of Nizar Qabbani’s Children of the Stones Trilogy

Authors

I. Almazaidah, Department of Arabic Language, School of Arts, The University of Jordan, Amman, JordanFollow
T. AL- Masarwah, Department of Arabic Language, School of Arts, The University of Jordan, Amman, JordanFollow
A. Ibrahim, Department of Arabic Language, School of Arts, The University of Jordan, Amman, JordanFollow

Abstract

In the context of the Arab Israeli conflict, the Palestinian Intifada of 1987, commonly referred to as the Intifada of Stones," bears significant weight. In this study, an investigation into the representation of the event in Contemporary Arabic poetry is carried out. This research is an in-depth examination of Nizar Qabbanis Children of the Stones trilogy. From this, the researcher draws Qabbanis thoughts on the Intifada and the children of the Intifada who were pushed into adulthood too soon. Qabbani classified Intifada Children into four groups that overlap in typical activities, skills, and responsibilities. The four types of children are those who are admired, those who are men, those who are teachers, and those who are soldiers (i.e., militarized). Qabbani identified a new generation of children who he believed offered hope for the restoration of our countrys rights. He contrasted these children with what he referred to as "the generations of defeat and setbacks." Qabbani saw these children as heroes who wrote a new chapter in their nations history by resisting tanks and planes with only stones. They embodied tenacity, passion, and optimism.

Recommended Citation

Almazaidah, I.; AL- Masarwah, T.; and Ibrahim, A. (2023) "Militarization of Childhood: a Reading of Nizar Qabbani’s Children of the Stones Trilogy," Information Sciences Letters: Vol. 12 : Iss. 9 , PP -.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/isl/vol12/iss9/6