THE IMAGE OF THE PALESTINIAN HEROINE "UMM AL-ZAGHAREED" IN CONTEMPORARY PALESTINIAN NOVELS AND STORIES

This study examines the literary production crafted by Palestinian writers who depicted the heroic Palestinian woman in various facets of her existence: as a mother, a fighter, a steadfast protector, a prisoner, the mother or sister of a martyr, a martyr herself, and as someone who endured the bitterness of displacement, exile, and persecution.She is the besieged figure who displayed resilience and patience during years of blockade.The study aims to uncover the multifaceted portrayals of this woman, oscillating between positive and negative representations.The positive image emerges in the depiction of the militant woman who sends her children to defend the homeland, participates in protests, distributes anti-occupation leaflets, and confronts oppression, humiliation, and human degradation.She is also portrayed as a rebel against social realities, advocating for her dignity and freedom in a society intent on suppressing her autonomy.For over a century, Palestinian women have played a pioneering role in the national struggle, beginning with the British Mandate period after World War I and continuing to the present day.Successive uprisings heralded new waves of organized resistance against colonialism, drawing women from all backgrounds into both popular and armed struggles for liberation.Palestinian writers, particularly in fiction, have extensively addressed the image of the heroic mother-the mother of a martyr-who patiently endures the loss of her child.This mother greets her son's martyrdom with ululations as though he were a bridegroom on his wedding day.Women visit to congratulate her on her son's martyrdom, offering felicitations instead of condolences, saying, "Congratulations, mother of the martyr," and specifying days to receive well-wishers.The Palestinian mother has thus become a paragon of sacrifice, resilience, and defiance, inspiring her children-both young and old.This study also foregrounds the creative contributions of female writers who have penned novels born of their experiences of suffering, whether under occupation or within a patriarchal society.