Critical Review Of Princess

1274 Words3 Pages

In her book Princess, Jean Sasson conveys through the Princess Sultana's story of the many abuses of women in Saudi Arabia. For thousands of years, women in Saudi Arabia has earned no respect, given no identity (as if invisible), and were treated like sexual objects. Their only use is to produce male offspring, and to service their husbands sexually. This goes for all women. Although women of royalty are born free, they are just as insignificant as the lower class women. Through the eyes of Princess Sultana, Jean Sasson tells the cruel and unjust ways of the male society in Saudi Arabia.

Women in Saudi Arabia are given no identity, starting with their births and ending with their death. Both accounts are neither recorded nor written down. "Neither our births nor our deaths are made official in any public record. Although births of male children are documented in family or tribal records, none are maintained anywhere for females (pg.23)". Along with no recognition of two of the most important events in life, they are forced to cover their beautiful faces with cloth called veils and abacas, once their menstrual cycle begins. "Of course, at the time of each females menses and subsequent veiling, the cutoff from any males other than father and brothers was sudden and complete (pg.30)." Veils were also away of depriving Saudi women of the many beauties of life and nature. Once veiled, life became dark and some what gloomy. "The air tasted stale and dry as it filtered through the thin gauzy cloth. The sky was no longer blue, the glow of the sun had dimmed; my heart plunged to my stomach when I realized that from that moment outside my own home I would not experience life as it really is in all it's color. The world suddenly seemed a d...

... middle of paper ...

... words of Princess Sultana about the many abuses of women in Saudi Arabia. Women in Saudi Arabia's only purpose is sex, and the production of male children. Other than that they are seen as invisible and incompetent. They are given no identity at birth and their deaths are unaccounted for. Saudi women are also forced to cover up their beautiful faces with veils and abaayas. Women of royalty also get treated just as horribly as the lower class women. Jean Sasson did an excellent job of conveying Princess Sultana's pain, aggravation, and grief. Through this book readers will know of Princess Sultana's hopes and dreams of equal treatment for Saudi women. Princess is a well supported and informative book that will teach it's readers the mistreatments of women in Saudi Arabia.

Work Cited

Sasson, Jean Princess

Atlanta, Georgia 1992

www.amazon.ocm

www.jeansasson.com

Open Document