God Dies by the Nile, Gives the reader and interesting look at a time and place that seems to have no equality between men and women. The Middle east has many very interesting features and aspects about it such as the way their economy is organized, the type of religion that they practice, the various geographical aspects of the land, and the way that society is in general. Because the economy is so poor, many people live in mud huts along rivers, and have very few material possessions. The main source of income comes from working in the fields. What little money they earn from the hard labor goes toward food for the family. Although this is not how everyone in lives. Strong political figures are those who live in luxury. This is the way it is in Kafr El Teen, where the characters of God Dies by the Nile, live.
This story is focused on one family in the town of Kafr El Teen, especially on the woman of the family. Zakeya and Kafrawi are Brother and sister and the oldest of the house. Karfrawi's daughters also live with them, Zeinab, and Nefissa's. Also at one point Galal, Zakeys son lived with them ( also Zeinabs husband ). This family is put through many struggles mostly placed upon them by the Mayor of the town, who has an obsession with the daughters of Karfawi.
The story starts out with Zakeya walking to the field. She ties her buffalo to the water wheel and starts swinging her hoe to the earth. She does this for hours. This is the kind of hard labor that was done by women. Men also worked in the fields. Women also would have chores like walking down to the river to fill up jugs, just so they could tote them back to their houses on top their heads. These are just a couple of examples of hard labor women had to do. ...
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...sent him. Nefissa was sent to work for the mayor, so he could have his way with her. The child bore by Nefissa was the mayors child. Neffissa ran away because she was ashamed of what the mayor had done to her. The mayor had Karfawi set up for murdering the "supposed" father of Nefissa's child. The mayor sent Zakeya and Zeinab to the city, where he had a plan to trick them into believing Allah was talking to them. So that Zeinab would work for him. When Zeinab did work for him he took advantage of her. When her husband intervened, the mayor set Galal up. He made him look like a thief.
Women were vengeful . Zakeya took revenge and killed the mayor for all his wrong doings . She realized that the Mayor was Allah. He was who was in control of her life. So she killed God and buried him by the Nile
Works Cited
Nawal el Saadawi, God dies by the Nile, beirut 1974
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