Date of Award
4-30-2026
Degree Type
UG Dissertation (Restricted)
Department
English
Chief Supervisor
Prof. Harding Jason Derrick
Abstract
This project conducts a critical comparative discourse analysis of Western media coverage of Gaza and contemporary Palestinian poetry written from within the siege. Drawing on Edward Said’s frameworks from Orientalism, Covering Islam, and Culture and Imperialism, the analysis examines eight BBC articles, five CNN articles, and seven New York Times articles alongside poems by Refaat Alareer, Mosab Abu Toha, Hiba Abu Nada, Basman Aldirawi, Fady Joudah, and Batool Abu Akleen. The findings show that mainstream news discourse consistently erases Palestinian agency through passive voice, qualifies Palestinian sources with suspicion, and omits historical context such as the Nakba, reducing Palestinians to simply statistics. In contrast, the poems function as a strategic counter‑narrative: it names the dead, archives trauma and identity in the body, sanctifies domestic rituals, and roots present suffering in generations of exile. The poems do not replace journalism but answer its erasures, insisting on memory, dignity, and the irreplaceable particularity of each lost life. The project concludes that Gazan poetry is not merely literary expression but an essential act of witness and resistance against dehumanization.
Language
English
Copyright
The copyright of this dissertation is owned by its author. Any reproduction, adaptation, distribution or dissemination of this thesis without express authorization is strictly prohibited.
Recommended Citation
Khan, I. S. (2026). Comparative discourse analysis: Palestinian poetry as a counter-narrative to western media (UG dissertation, Lingnan University, Hong Kong). Retrieved from https://commons.ln.edu.hk/eng_fyp/98