Criticism of hypocrisy in Woman at Point Zero
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The oppression of women in the Middle East and North Africa was commonplace, with women often beaten and deprived of fundamental rights. Entrapped by social constraints, there was little hope for opposition, as the patriarchal perspectives of society were enforced by everyone, even women themselves. One of the most prevalent ways was through the use of hypocrisy and double standards to cast an illusion of justice and equality, when in reality, women were disadvantaged in nearly every aspect. The hypocrisy of society is demonstrated in Nawal El Saadawi’s novel Woman at Point Zero, where women such as Firdaus are dominated by double standards. She finds both initial hope and consequent
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Sharifa, an empathetic woman, is first met in an area where “the air which entered [Firdaus’] lungs was pure and free of dust” (54), representing her apparent purity. The green of her shawl, eyes, and makeup symbolize the movement of Firdaus into a new stage, and the peace, hope, and growth accompanying it. The setting of a spotless apartment on the tree-lined bank of the Nile River further sets the atmosphere of safety and comfort, a substantial change from her confinement in Bayoumi’s flat. Vivid imagery and concrete diction also establish the empathy of Sharifa: Firdaus describes how Sharifa’s “fingers too were soft” (56), her clothes as being “soft . . . with a lovely smell of perfume” (56), and how “everything around [Firdaus] had this smooth, soft quality about it” (56). Firdaus embraces Sharifa’s attitude, feeling “born again with a new body, smooth and tender as a rose petal” (57). The association of Sharifa with softness and Firdaus’ transfer into a smooth body shows Firdaus’ rapid alignment with Sharifa’s purported character. However, Firdaus eventually realizes that Sharifa is exploiting her when she expresses her desire to feel pleasure, but is shut down by Sharifa, who invokes that Firdaus is being greedy, when it is the definite opposite. Firdaus observes that Sharifa would “count the pound notes, and stack them quickly in some secret recess the …show more content…
He asserts himself to be a revolutionary looking to change the status quo, “speak[ing] about justice and the abolition of privileges enjoyed by management as compared to the workers” (86). His subversive spirit engulfs Firdaus, who believes that Ibrahim is “fighting for [the workers] and for all of those who are deprived of a decent life” (90). Metaphorically, his fight for the workers can be likened to the fight for gender equality against the dogma of powerful officials. However, much like Bayoumi and Sharifa, his actions do not uphold his beliefs when he becomes engaged to the chairman’s daughter instead of remaining loyal to the workers, significantly contradicting his outward beliefs. Firdaus is deeply affected, having “never experienced suffering such as this” (93). Her perception of men is shattered as she loses faith in society and succumbs to a life of dissent and isolation. Saadawi depicts the detrimental use of hypocrisy to oppress
Both el Saadawi and Al-Shaykh both show how perception and expression are both affected within the confines of politics, social opportunities, and male privilege depicted in their stories. Whether the reader is a follower of the feminist movement or not, it is very clear and easy to see that these women are not being treated with the respect that any human being deserves. The misogynistic stranglehold on society, especially in this part of the world, is excessive and avoidable in today’s world but it is very likely that the traditional, conservative ways of the past will continue to control and inhibit women from being able to be fully treated as equals for many years to come, perhaps even after this generation has
It is difficult to realize the harsh standards and obligations imposed upon women of different cultures. It is especially disappointing to note that women whom may seek to relieve themselves of such discriminatory practices, face little to no government support in terms of fighting inequality. Such as distinguished in text The War Against Feminism, women of Algeria must fight against patriarchal and incredibly sexist political movements, such as the “Islamic Salvation Front,” which although was banned, had won an election and the promotion of their platform’s ideas despite their notions consisting of extreme patriarchal views and their actual assassinations of individuals not compliant with their beliefs. I also strongly agreed with the United Nations decision to aid individuals from fear of the Taliban, in their stating of refusing to continue aid to Afghanistan if intense cruel practices were to continue. The interference of other government agencies in helping to promote the end of cruelty, such as was occurring by the Taliban, act as great movement of defiance against
Anna Julia Cooper’s, Womanhood a Vital Element in the Regeneration and Progress, an excerpt from A Voice from the South, discusses the state of race and gender in America with an emphasis on African American women of the south. She contributes a number of things to the destitute state African American woman became accustom to and believe education and elevation of the black woman would change not only the state of the African American community but the nation as well. Cooper’s analysis is based around three concepts, the merging of the Barbaric with Christianity, the Feudal system, and the regeneration of the black woman.
We cannot deny the imperfection of the world today; poverty, violence, lack of education, and the general overwhelming deficiency of basic daily necessities are among some of the most troubling issues on the agenda. By carefully selecting our critical lens, we can gather that there are many aspects of today’s issues where we can focus our attention and begin the quest for solutions to these pervasive problems. Authors Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (2009) utilize their book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide to emphasize the particular struggle of women in the world today and how by addressing three particular abuses of sex trafficking and forced prostitution, gender-based violence (including honor killings and mass rape), and maternal mortality, we may begin “unlocking an incipient women’s movement to emancipate women and fight global poverty” (p. xxii). However, we must first understand the difficulty of addressing such complex issues by a proposing a “one-size fits all” solution and take into consideration the varying feminist perspectives that currently contemplate the oppression of women in societies around the world. To be able to critically digest Kristof and WuDunn’s book we must explore the types of stories and evidence included and how they’re presented, and the generalized theories behind the insight and solutions regarding the women in need around the world. The authors alienate their audience by ignoring the complexity of building a singular feminist movement. Kristof and WuDunn’s book Half the Sky further contributes to the oppression of women because they objectify Third World women by portraying them as victims in need of outside rescue and suggest that an overarching solution...
Trofin, Liliana and Madalina Tomescu. “Women’s Rights in the Middle East”. Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice Vol. 2(1). 1948-9137 (2010): 152-157.
In the novel She and in the stories of The Arabian Nights, both Haggard and Haddawy explore the expanding gender roles of women within the nineteenth century. At a time that focused on the New Woman Question, traditional gender roles were shifted to produce greater rights and responsibilities for women. Both Ayesha, from Haggard’s novel She, and Shahrazad, from Haddawy’s translation of The Arabian Nights, transgress the traditional roles of women as they are being portrayed as strong and educated females, unwilling to yield to men’s commands. While She (Ayesha) takes her power to the extreme (i.e. embodying the femme fatale), Shahrazad offers a counterpart to She (i.e. she is strong yet selfless and concerned with the welfare of others). Thus, from the two characters emerge the idea of a woman who does not abide by the constraints of nineteenth century gender roles and, instead, symbolizes the New Woman.
Middle Eastern women need to stand up for their rights and get educated to reverse the notion that they are servants and properties of their men. Furthermore, they need to rise up to their potentials and prove beyond doubt that they are equal to men. This practice would lead the path for future generations to follow and protect the inalienable rights of women. Finally, these women need to break the cycle of oppression by addressing these deeply rooted beliefs, gaining the tools to fight back, and joining forces to make lifelong changes.
Throughout Woman at Point Zero, Nawal El Saadawi presents Firdaus to be on the ongoing search to increase and justify her self-worth. Firdaus learns how to attain her self-worth in different ways from different people, however each contributor of self-worth is dependent on money. Firdaus discovers the value of education from her uncle, appearance from Sharifa and her most profound moment on her own. Throughout Firdaus’ life, her uncle’s money allows for education, her solicited money affords an upper class disguise, but the ultimate distinction of her self-worth occurs when she finally overcomes that value of money. El Saadawi highlights the fact that education requires money to attain and is required to obtain money thereafter.
The Women of the Middle East have played substantial roles for their corresponding countries since the advent of colonialism in the region. Middle Eastern women have worked in all types of fields including medicine, education, agriculture, government, private sector, and even defense. They have kept roofs over their family’s heads while their husbands were away in wars, or even in foreign countries to work in jobs that they could not find in their own countries. The roles of women in the countries of Yemen and Oman are no exception, but while they still find ways to contribute to their country, they care constantly stereotyped, discriminated, and ridiculed by men who are known and unknown to them. This paper will discuss the individual contributions of the women living in Yemen and Oman, and will discuss in further state laws and cultural norms that are affecting the women living in these countries today.
works by many woman writers can be read as feminist in the context of Arab
What separates the human race from all creation? Many will say that the ability to reason and capacity to know what is wright and wrong makes humanity different from everything else. But, for a while now, humanity has chosen to disregard these qualities and become blind to the horrifying product of this decision. Social media has made it very clear that our words affect others and is important to be mindful of them. The news show that even in the 21st century humans can be very cruel in 1st world or 3rd world countries. Brutal stories all around the world are shared about young man shutting others because of their physical or spiritual differences. The short story, written by Shirley Jackson, is a cry for humanity to stay
War ravaged the land and tore people apart emotionally and physically. One recurrence that came about during the war was the raping and “ruining” of women. To be ruined meant that a woman was raped and/or tortured so severely that she would no longer be capable of having sex. In a culture that values the fertility of its women, this lead to the breakdown of many communities. A perfect example of this breakdown would be in the case of Salima and Fortune. Salima was taken into the bush and raped for 5 months and when she returned home her husband, Fortune, turned her away. This violence committed against Salima caused her to be forced from her community, and it also forced her to take up work at Mama Nadi’s. Here she has to endure a change of identity in order to do the work required of her and to come to terms with her past. At the end of the play, Salima dies and states the haunting words; “You will not fight your battles on my body anymore”(94). These last words sum up just how intrusive the war has become in the lives of everyone in its path and also represents a clear shift in Salima as an individual. Instead of the woman who just wanted her husband back at the end of the play, we are left to contemplate a
In the novel Woman at Point Zero the author, Nawal El Saadawi, retells the life story of Firdaus, the main character, a tragic hero who rebels against the social norms within her oppressive culture seeking the same respect and prestige that is bestowed upon her male oppressors, only to be executed for her attempt to obtain the same privileges as men. This essay will demonstrate how the aspects and expectations of Egyptian culture influence Firdaus’s decisions as she struggles to be her own woman in a society controlled by dictatorial political and patriarchal structures all while exposing the evident discontentment she has with the way Egyptian society views women, and the glorification of things that go against ideal societal structures.
Throughout “Araby”, the main character experiences a dynamic character shift as he recognizes that his idealized vision of his love, as well as the bazaar Araby, is not as grandiose as he once thought. The main character is infatuated with the sister of his friend Mangan; as “every morning [he] lay on the floor in the front parlour watching her door…when she came on the doorstep [his] heart leaped” (Joyce 108). Although the main character had never spoken to her before, “her name was like a summons to all [his] foolish blood” (Joyce 108). In a sense, the image of Mangan’s sister was the light to his fantasy. She seemed to serve as a person who would lift him up out of the darkness of the life that he lived. This infatuation knew no bounds as “her image accompanied [him] even in places the most hostile to romance…her name sprang to [his] lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which [he] did not understand” (Joyce 109). The first encounter the narrator ex...
At the beginning of the novel, Firdaus responses are in a passive, lethargic manner towards men whom she has encountered with like if she has not yet seen much self-worth. Her first encounter is with Mohammadain; he’s another kid that lives in the same town. Mohammadain is the first male that has given her a strong sensation of pleasure: “I saw Mohammadain lying on a bed of straw under the open shelter. The smell… crept up my nose… My whole body shuddered with a faraway yet familiar pleasure arising from some unknown source, from some indefinable spot outside my being… something I tried to hold on to… but it slipped away… I wept in my sleep as though it was something I was losing now… and not something I had lost a long time” (El Saadawi 25). The use of “shuddered, “whole body”, “my being”, and “wept”, gives the sense that Mohammadain did not only exert an emotional force upon Firdaus, but has also caused her to assess and examine her sense of “being” and identity. Her first experience shows how naïve an...