? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-


The Secret Life of Saeed: The Pessoptimist by Emile Habibi is one of the most distinct Palestinian voices that successfully share a satirical experience of occupation. Saeed, whose family name is a portmanteau of optimist and pessimist, is a Palestinian living under occupation who can’t always see the cup as half-empty or half-full. Told in his own voice as he reflects on his life, we discover that Saeed was able to escape from tragedy in 1948 when he hitched a ride on a stray mule to escape the fighting that had claimed the life of his family in his hometown, Accre. He describes how years later he returns home and struggles to make a living until he is made an offer he can't refuse: Working for the occupying forces as a spy — a role that he struggles to perform and the authority figures regret assigning him. The Pessoptimist is rich with historical references to important landmarks, true historical events that several textbooks obfuscate and allegories. However, what it does clearly show is the arduous situations that people under occupation face and the difficult choices that they often have to make to survive — choices that may include betraying their own state.

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