A world not ours

All the stories in the collection "A World Not Our Own" were written between 1959 and 1963, except for the last story, "The Bride," which was written in 1965. The book was first published in Beirut in 1965. Therefore, we will find a strong link connecting this collection to Kanafani's two previous collections, "Death in Bed No. 12" and "Men in the Sun," as two fundamental voices coalesce to form the narrative fabric of the collection: alienation from the homeland and alienation from dignity.

Just as the story "Death in Bed No. 12" was an indicator of Kanafani's attempt to raise questions about death and the detailed circumstances people live in the Gulf, "The Bride" comes to raise questions about the Palestinian national struggle and the symbol that will be embodied in the Palestinian rifle. It is no coincidence that both stories are written in the form of a letter, nor is it a coincidence that the author speaks through the two protagonists, and finally, it is no coincidence that both protagonists are marginalized in reality: the first dies and the second goes mad.