The Power of Gender

How is power determined in your country? Power in Libya is strictly established upon by gender. Men have more rights and power than women, and this novel demonstrates that as it revolves around the actions of men. The title of the novel itself, In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar, essentially isolates the existence of women. This novel is set in 1979, a hard time for most Libyans as they were under the oppressive control of Gaddafi. Women are often mistreated by men, Gaddafi being one of them. There are different types of men in this novel, some rebellious, while some oblivious. We get to see the protagonist, Suleiman experience manhood for the first time and this helps one understand what is meant by being a man in this time period.

In the Country of Men, the title of the book illustrates an image such that men control the country, leaving women out of the picture. The explanation behind the title may be that men are the ones that are mainly found doing work in public. Women do not go out often and are not seen to play a major role in society as their voices are not heard or taken into account. On the other hand, men are seen everywhere, Suleiman says “Men, some faces I recognized from before, sat playing dominoes and cards” (Matar 3). From what Suleiman describes, we can assume that there were no women sitting around eating or playing at the café. He specifically says men, showing that men have more freedom than women as they were just sitting out in public having fun with their friends. Suleiman sees the men and says, “a world full of men…” (4). This quote describes what Libyans see in their country, Suleiman as a young man, notices that the male population outnumbers the female population, particularl...

... middle of paper ...

...ld age”(151). This symbolizes slavery as if women were born to assist men, it shows that men did not have to do anything at home and they were treated like royalty by their wives. As a result of the unequal rights between both genders women were often neglected and men got all of the superiority.

Overall, we can come to a conclusion that the title of this novel reveals the type of society Libya is as it illustrates that men were given more rights over women in every situation. Mama is a slave to Baba and it is not a choice, it is the rules that society has created. Men have the right over women and one is considered to be a man once he realizes his powers and ultimately fulfills his dreams, this is manhood. In addition, the title of the novel supports the concept of men having the right over women in the society of Libya in 1979 as women are not mentioned.