Archipelago
McCann describes, “A town of neither here nor there, Anata appears like an odd urban archipelago-a Palestinian town, in the West Bank, under Israeli occupation, within the Jerusalem governorate. It is surrounded almost totally by the Separation Wall.” The metaphorical archipelago underscores Anata’s ancientness. For its part, the wall is intended to demonstrate the Israeli domination of the town and its isolation from other localities around it.
“Weeping Prophet”
McCann writes, “The biblical Jeremiah-Known also as the Weeping Prophet, chosen by God to warn of impending disaster-is said to have been born in ancient Anata.” Alluding to Jeremiah underscores the historical and religious significance of the Anata to the Christians particularly.
“Lazarus Pills”
McCann explicates, "The bullet was metal at the core, but tipped with a special vulcanised rubber…The soldiers called the bullets Lazarus pills: when possible, they could be picked up and used again." Referring to the bullets as ‘Lazarus pills’ accentuates their reusability. The bullets literally resurrect in the same way that Lazarus did; hence, they can be utilized more than once.
Loaves
McCann writes, "There were cameras above his prison hospital bed: he angled himself towards the wall so that he could not be seen while he wept himself to sleep. The days hardened like loaves: he ate them without appetite." The 'hardened loaves' characterize the difficulties which Bassam endured during his prison days. His weeping is a result of the agonizing conditions in prison which diminish his appetite and happiness.
Photograph
McCann writes, "He (Rami) is well used to it: he makes the trip to Beit Jala at least twice a week. All morning he has driven fast, but he likes the moments when things slow down to near-halt and he can feel the space around him, everything held in suspension like in a photograph where he is the only moving thing." Rami yearns for a photograph-like feeling when passing through the tunnel. The feeling would make him unresponsive to his worries and troubles. Being like a photograph would enable him to immerse himself in his world without disruption from anything.
