The Environmental plight of the impoverished: Exploring slow violence and solastalgia in Muhammad Khalil Qasim's Al-Shamandūra (The Buoy)

زكي, نهال احمد عادل

doi:10.21608/sjam.2023.228155.2081

The Environmental plight of the impoverished: Exploring slow violence and solastalgia in Muhammad Khalil Qasim's Al-Shamandūra (The Buoy)

نوع المستند : المقالة الأصلية

المؤلف

نهال احمد عادل زكي

كلية الألسن جامعة المنيا

10.21608/sjam.2023.228155.2081

المستخلص

This paper aims to explore the profound psychological, social, and environmental challenges faced by the Nubian community in Egypt, as depicted in Muhammad Khalil Qasim's Al-Shamandūra (The Buoy). Underpinned by an ecocritical perspective of environmental justice as well as environmental humanities, this study employs the lenses of slow violence and solastalgia to examine the Nubian characters’ responses to the gradual and sudden loss of their homeland. By offering a multi-dimensional investigation of the impact of the second raising of the Aswan Low Dam on the Nile as well as the Nubian community, this study delves into the psychological consequences of this man-made project. It examines how it affects the emotional well-being of the characters depicted in the novel. It also sheds light on the environmental consequences, addressing the changes and challenges faced by the natural ecosystem as a result of flooding the Nubian region. Moreover, the study explores the spatial transformations brought about by this project. It analyzes how the physical landscape is altered and how it shapes the experiences and interactions of the impoverished characters within the narrative. By thoroughly examining Qasim’s narrative, this study aims to expand the scope of environmentalism beyond conventional narratives. It addresses the urgent need to face environmental justice and empower impoverished communities in the face of multilayered environmental challenges.

الكلمات الرئيسية