{"id":{"repo_id":"exeter","oai_identifier":"oai:figshare.com:article/31353535"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/exeter/oai:figshare.com:article/31353535","repository":{"repo_id":"exeter","name":"University of Exeter","base_url":"https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai"},"display":{"title":"Eco-Otherness and Interconnectedness: Re-thinking Land, Trees, and Nonhuman Agency in Palestinian and North African Literature","abstract":"This thesis examines the representation of ecological ‘otherness’ and interconnectedness in Palestinian and North African literature, exploring the entanglement of environmental degradation, colonial violence, and cultural memory. While ecocriticism has traditionally focused on Western literary traditions, this study positions Arab literature as a vital contributor to global environmental humanities, challenging anthropocentric and Eurocentric paradigms. By foregrounding nonhuman agency, the thesis underscores how ecological narratives in Palestinian and North African literature resist colonial frameworks and assert environmental resilience. Drawing on eco-postcolonialism, the research engages with concepts such as eco-ṣumūd (ecological steadfastness), eco-memory, and the Qur’anic notion of umamun amthālukum (‘communities like your own’) to explore the ways trees, animals, and landscapes function as active agents of resistance and cultural preservation. Through a close textual analysis of works by Maḥmūd Darwīsh, Ghassān Kanafānī, Tawfīq Ziyād, Ibrāhīm al-Kōnī, Mīrāl al-Ṭaḥāwī, and Algerian folklore, the study demonstrates how natural elements are not merely symbolic but emerge as participants in ecological and political struggles. Palestinian literature reveals how the uprooting of trees—particularly olive and citrus groves—serves as both an environmental assault and a symbolic act of dispossession, severing cultural and historical ties to the land. Conversely, these trees become vessels of eco-memory, silently preserving Palestinian identity through their rootedness. Meanwhile, North African desert narratives reimagine human-animal relationships, challenging colonial commodification through indigenous ecological knowledge. In The Bleeding of the Stone, Asūf acts as a guardian of the desert animal, the waddan (Barbary sheep), resisting its exploitation and embodying a spiritual and ecological ethos that counters extractivist logics. In Gold Dust, the camel assumes a profound role as a companion and symbol of survival, while in The Tent, the mare represents cultural stability, whose loss destabilises both identity and belonging. Additionally, the folktale The Orphan’s Cow introduces a narrative of justice and stewardship, further reinforcing the interdependence between human and nonhuman worlds. This study repositions Arab literature as a critical force in postcolonial ecocriticism, challenging dominant frameworks that marginalise ecological dimensions of colonial violence. By integrating Arab ecological narratives into global debates on environmental justice and anti-colonial thought, it underscores the agency of the natural world in shaping cultural memory, resistance, and survival. Rather than treating Arab texts as supplementary to Western ecocriticism, the study asserts their role in expanding the field’s theoretical boundaries. In doing so, it calls for a paradigm shift—one that moves beyond inclusion to actively engaging with the ecological perspectives embedded in Arab literary traditions, recognising them as essential to rethinking environmental agency in postcolonial contexts.<p></p>","abstract_html":"This thesis examines the representation of ecological ‘otherness’ and interconnectedness in Palestinian and North African literature, exploring the entanglement of environmental degradation, colonial violence, and cultural memory. While ecocriticism has traditionally focused on Western literary traditions, this study positions Arab literature as a vital contributor to global environmental humanities, challenging anthropocentric and Eurocentric paradigms. By foregrounding nonhuman agency, the thesis underscores how ecological narratives in Palestinian and North African literature resist colonial frameworks and assert environmental resilience. Drawing on eco-postcolonialism, the research engages with concepts such as eco-ṣumūd (ecological steadfastness), eco-memory, and the Qur’anic notion of umamun amthālukum (‘communities like your own’) to explore the ways trees, animals, and landscapes function as active agents of resistance and cultural preservation. Through a close textual analysis of works by Maḥmūd Darwīsh, Ghassān Kanafānī, Tawfīq Ziyād, Ibrāhīm al-Kōnī, Mīrāl al-Ṭaḥāwī, and Algerian folklore, the study demonstrates how natural elements are not merely symbolic but emerge as participants in ecological and political struggles. Palestinian literature reveals how the uprooting of trees—particularly olive and citrus groves—serves as both an environmental assault and a symbolic act of dispossession, severing cultural and historical ties to the land. Conversely, these trees become vessels of eco-memory, silently preserving Palestinian identity through their rootedness. Meanwhile, North African desert narratives reimagine human-animal relationships, challenging colonial commodification through indigenous ecological knowledge. In The Bleeding of the Stone, Asūf acts as a guardian of the desert animal, the waddan (Barbary sheep), resisting its exploitation and embodying a spiritual and ecological ethos that counters extractivist logics. In Gold Dust, the camel assumes a profound role as a companion and symbol of survival, while in The Tent, the mare represents cultural stability, whose loss destabilises both identity and belonging. Additionally, the folktale The Orphan’s Cow introduces a narrative of justice and stewardship, further reinforcing the interdependence between human and nonhuman worlds. This study repositions Arab literature as a critical force in postcolonial ecocriticism, challenging dominant frameworks that marginalise ecological dimensions of colonial violence. By integrating Arab ecological narratives into global debates on environmental justice and anti-colonial thought, it underscores the agency of the natural world in shaping cultural memory, resistance, and survival. Rather than treating Arab texts as supplementary to Western ecocriticism, the study asserts their role in expanding the field’s theoretical boundaries. In doing so, it calls for a paradigm shift—one that moves beyond inclusion to actively engaging with the ecological perspectives embedded in Arab literary traditions, recognising them as essential to rethinking environmental agency in postcolonial contexts.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Asmaa Meftah (21038018)"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","date_published":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:34:24Z","subjects":["Eco-postcolonialism","Eco-ṣumūd","Ecological otherness","Palestinian literature","North African literature","Eco-memory","Nonhuman agency","Environmental justice","Postcolonial ecocriticism"],"languages":[],"rights":["CC BY-NC-ND","Open Access after 2030-02-09"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10779/exe.31353535.v1"],"render_values":[{"text":"10779/exe.31353535.v1","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Asmaa Meftah (21038018)"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2026-02-03T00:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Eco-Otherness_and_Interconnectedness_Re-thinking_Land_Trees_and_Nonhuman_Agency_in_Palestinian_and_North_African_Literature/31353535"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Text","Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Eco-postcolonialism","Eco-ṣumūd","Ecological otherness","Palestinian literature","North African literature","Eco-memory","Nonhuman agency","Environmental justice","Postcolonial ecocriticism"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["CC BY-NC-ND","Open Access after 2030-02-09"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10779/exe.31353535.v1"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["This thesis examines the representation of ecological ‘otherness’ and interconnectedness in Palestinian and North African literature, exploring the entanglement of environmental degradation, colonial violence, and cultural memory. While ecocriticism has traditionally focused on Western literary traditions, this study positions Arab literature as a vital contributor to global environmental humanities, challenging anthropocentric and Eurocentric paradigms. By foregrounding nonhuman agency, the thesis underscores how ecological narratives in Palestinian and North African literature resist colonial frameworks and assert environmental resilience. Drawing on eco-postcolonialism, the research engages with concepts such as eco-ṣumūd (ecological steadfastness), eco-memory, and the Qur’anic notion of umamun amthālukum (‘communities like your own’) to explore the ways trees, animals, and landscapes function as active agents of resistance and cultural preservation. Through a close textual analysis of works by Maḥmūd Darwīsh, Ghassān Kanafānī, Tawfīq Ziyād, Ibrāhīm al-Kōnī, Mīrāl al-Ṭaḥāwī, and Algerian folklore, the study demonstrates how natural elements are not merely symbolic but emerge as participants in ecological and political struggles. Palestinian literature reveals how the uprooting of trees—particularly olive and citrus groves—serves as both an environmental assault and a symbolic act of dispossession, severing cultural and historical ties to the land. Conversely, these trees become vessels of eco-memory, silently preserving Palestinian identity through their rootedness. Meanwhile, North African desert narratives reimagine human-animal relationships, challenging colonial commodification through indigenous ecological knowledge. In The Bleeding of the Stone, Asūf acts as a guardian of the desert animal, the waddan (Barbary sheep), resisting its exploitation and embodying a spiritual and ecological ethos that counters extractivist logics. In Gold Dust, the camel assumes a profound role as a companion and symbol of survival, while in The Tent, the mare represents cultural stability, whose loss destabilises both identity and belonging. Additionally, the folktale The Orphan’s Cow introduces a narrative of justice and stewardship, further reinforcing the interdependence between human and nonhuman worlds. This study repositions Arab literature as a critical force in postcolonial ecocriticism, challenging dominant frameworks that marginalise ecological dimensions of colonial violence. By integrating Arab ecological narratives into global debates on environmental justice and anti-colonial thought, it underscores the agency of the natural world in shaping cultural memory, resistance, and survival. Rather than treating Arab texts as supplementary to Western ecocriticism, the study asserts their role in expanding the field’s theoretical boundaries. In doing so, it calls for a paradigm shift—one that moves beyond inclusion to actively engaging with the ecological perspectives embedded in Arab literary traditions, recognising them as essential to rethinking environmental agency in postcolonial contexts.<p></p>"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Eco-Otherness and Interconnectedness: Re-thinking Land, Trees, and Nonhuman Agency in Palestinian and North African Literature"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Asmaa Meftah (21038018)"],"dc:date":["2026-02-03T00:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["This thesis examines the representation of ecological ‘otherness’ and interconnectedness in Palestinian and North African literature, exploring the entanglement of environmental degradation, colonial violence, and cultural memory. While ecocriticism has traditionally focused on Western literary traditions, this study positions Arab literature as a vital contributor to global environmental humanities, challenging anthropocentric and Eurocentric paradigms. By foregrounding nonhuman agency, the thesis underscores how ecological narratives in Palestinian and North African literature resist colonial frameworks and assert environmental resilience. Drawing on eco-postcolonialism, the research engages with concepts such as eco-ṣumūd (ecological steadfastness), eco-memory, and the Qur’anic notion of umamun amthālukum (‘communities like your own’) to explore the ways trees, animals, and landscapes function as active agents of resistance and cultural preservation. Through a close textual analysis of works by Maḥmūd Darwīsh, Ghassān Kanafānī, Tawfīq Ziyād, Ibrāhīm al-Kōnī, Mīrāl al-Ṭaḥāwī, and Algerian folklore, the study demonstrates how natural elements are not merely symbolic but emerge as participants in ecological and political struggles. Palestinian literature reveals how the uprooting of trees—particularly olive and citrus groves—serves as both an environmental assault and a symbolic act of dispossession, severing cultural and historical ties to the land. Conversely, these trees become vessels of eco-memory, silently preserving Palestinian identity through their rootedness. Meanwhile, North African desert narratives reimagine human-animal relationships, challenging colonial commodification through indigenous ecological knowledge. In The Bleeding of the Stone, Asūf acts as a guardian of the desert animal, the waddan (Barbary sheep), resisting its exploitation and embodying a spiritual and ecological ethos that counters extractivist logics. In Gold Dust, the camel assumes a profound role as a companion and symbol of survival, while in The Tent, the mare represents cultural stability, whose loss destabilises both identity and belonging. Additionally, the folktale The Orphan’s Cow introduces a narrative of justice and stewardship, further reinforcing the interdependence between human and nonhuman worlds. This study repositions Arab literature as a critical force in postcolonial ecocriticism, challenging dominant frameworks that marginalise ecological dimensions of colonial violence. By integrating Arab ecological narratives into global debates on environmental justice and anti-colonial thought, it underscores the agency of the natural world in shaping cultural memory, resistance, and survival. Rather than treating Arab texts as supplementary to Western ecocriticism, the study asserts their role in expanding the field’s theoretical boundaries. In doing so, it calls for a paradigm shift—one that moves beyond inclusion to actively engaging with the ecological perspectives embedded in Arab literary traditions, recognising them as essential to rethinking environmental agency in postcolonial contexts.<p></p>"],"dc:identifier":["10779/exe.31353535.v1"],"dc:relation":["https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Eco-Otherness_and_Interconnectedness_Re-thinking_Land_Trees_and_Nonhuman_Agency_in_Palestinian_and_North_African_Literature/31353535"],"dc:rights":["CC BY-NC-ND","Open Access after 2030-02-09"],"dc:subject":["Eco-postcolonialism","Eco-ṣumūd","Ecological otherness","Palestinian literature","North African literature","Eco-memory","Nonhuman agency","Environmental justice","Postcolonial ecocriticism"],"dc:title":["Eco-Otherness and Interconnectedness: Re-thinking Land, Trees, and Nonhuman Agency in Palestinian and North African Literature"],"dc:type":["Text","Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:34:24Z"}