The image of the Syrian in post 2011 novels from neighbouring countries. A comparative study: Turkey, Lebanon & Jordan. (English)

The outbreak of civil war in Syria (2011) has led to widespread Syrian displacement in the neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Studies have primarily examined host communities’ attitudes towards Syrian refugees in these countries through analyses of local media, social media, and fieldwork. None have investigated perceptions of Syrian refugees through an analysis of host-country contemporary literature. This research focuses on the image of Syrian refugees in three modern host-country novels written after 2011, analysing how they have been portrayed by each of the novelists. Despite our analysis revealing contrasting views and attitudes towards Syrian refugees, nevertheless each of the authors provide sympathetic portrayals of Syrian refugees as fellow human beings who have been subject to oppression and persecution, which have ultimately helped to humanise Syrian refugees in the eyes of their readers.