Relationships come in many forms; romantic relationships, the relationship between a mother and her daughter, or even the relationship between a mentor and a mentee. Throughout a person’s life they will have many of these associations and with each one there is a lesson to be learned. Nawal El Saadawi uses her character Firdaus’ relationships to expose the corruption of Egyptian society and develop her as a dynamic character.
Nawal El Saadawi exposes the Egyptian society’s expectations of men in her time through the motifs shown in Firdaus’ relationships and perceptions of the men in her life. In the novel, the experiences that Firdaus has with these men all lead to their own smaller epiphanies. All of these chance meetings lead to the same
…show more content…
Saadawi initially introduced the theme of exposing the corruption of Egyptian society by writing a townswoman and Firdaus’ mother cutting “off a piece of flesh from between [her] thighs” (Saadawi 12). Because genital mutilation was normal in her society, Firdaus saw nothing wrong with it. Saadawi chose to write Firdaus not seeing this as someone making a decision about her body for her because it helps support the theme of revealing the corruption of the society. Saadawi writes Firdaus to have many fleeting moments of confidence. A great example of one of these fleeting moments is after she receives her secondary school certificate. Firdaus was excited to get a secondary school certificate because she believed that it would open many doors for her. The confidence lasts until she overhears her uncle and her wife saying that “It’s not easy to find work these days when all you have is a secondary school certificate” (Saadawi 36). Firdaus finally regains that lost confidence with the help of Sharifa. Saadawi wrote Sharifa to be a sort of guardian angel to Firdaus. She motivated Firdaus by telling her things such as “Neither Bayoumi or any of his other cronies realized your worth because you failed to value yourself high enough” and “You belittle yourself, Firdaus” (Saadawi 58). The lessons that Firdaus learns from her relationship with Sharifa are ones that she carries with her until the …show more content…
She shows readers how society valued men over women, how fathers only valued their daughters for the dowry they would receive when she married, and also how young girls had no say in what was done to their bodies. Saadawi also develops Firdaus into a dynamic character with the use of these themes. By definition, a dynamic character undergoes major changes, just as the character Firdaus does. Nawal El Saadawi uses the experiences in Firdaus’ life to develop her as a dynamic character and also unveil the wrongdoings of Egyptian
For the boy in “Araby” He finds out that his crush on his friend’s Sister was just a fantasy. He goes to Araby in search of getting a gift for his lover. He arrives late to the bazaar and finds out the bazaar was closing and the sales people where uninterested in his presence, so the boy is left frustrated because to him Araby was supposed to represent a world full of romance, which would have helped his crush on his friend’s sister become a realistic one because he believed getting a gift from Araby would have convinced his friend’s sister to have a love relationship with him. At the end of the story the Boy says this, “I saw myself as creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger” (Joyce 90). The Boy is frustrated that his dream has been crushed, and realized that he can’t be the lover of his friend’s. Like the boy in “Araby”, Sammy has realized that his crush on Queenie was just a fantasy, and he is left disappointed because he has scarified is job in order to stand up for the young lady he has a crush on for being insulted by his manager, in which he thought he would impress her, and therefore she would be interested in him, but instead Sammy is left regretting for quitting his job in order to get the young lady to love him because in the end he finds out that she no interest in him by leaving the store, and not even thanking him for stand up for her. The last line of the story he says,” My stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (Updike39). Sammy thinks that he has learned that society could be harsh
Amir’s childhood never seemed less than impeccable. A dream house with his father and their servants to serve his every need made Amir’s only trouble the yearning for his father’s approval. But what price comes with his father’s love? Consequently, when Amir ran away from
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi shows the reader about the events that took place in the country of Iran in 1980. The protagonist of the story tells us the story of the veil that was mandatory for the women to wear after the Islamic revolution in 1979. She shows us how the people living in Iran reacted to this law through various different perspectives and retorts. The story outlines Marjane’s story from when she was a small child to when she was a young adult. Marjane opposes the notion of command and the various encounters of the Iranian revolution. The book showcases Marjane as a rebellious and outspoken woman through her numerous responses to the situations of her daily life, however, she has other facets to her personality which intrigue me. Through the description of her vivid experiences, she successfully creates a unique identity for herself in my mind.
It revolves around the issues of gender oppression, sexual assault, and importance of social status. Alifa Rifaat manages to express her opinions towards these themes by writing about a typical Egyptian marriage. She puts in focus the strong influence that a patriarchal society has. She also manages to prove how important social status is in society. The uses of literally elements such as theme and irony help express this view. It shows that in a typical Egyptian society women are commonly oppressed by all males in society
2. The rhetoric of these two authors is very alike in that their use of media form is used to describe and covey their feels with great detail. Author Nafisi uses first-hand accounts and compares how Sanaz changes her behaviors while being inside out of view and outside when in view of the police. Author Satrapi uses the pictures to help the reader form an image of what these women go through.
Due to frozen funds, she was unable to finish her degree at university, and this has made getting a job difficult and frustrating for one used to a lavish lifestyle bordering on royalty. Najwa soon swallows her pride, and begins working for Lamya, an affluent Egyptian who mildly resembles the Najwa of prosperity. Having been surrounded by servants growing up, Najwa thrives in this position, and is able to move in the shadows, unnoticed and with low interference with her employers. As talented as she is as a servant, she is aware this is a position she would not have been proud to take in the past. She details how she “knows them intimate ways while they hardly no me,” proving how easily replaced and forgotten she is in this job (83). Lacking fulfillment, Najwa remembers the Muslims reciting their daily prayers, and the fulfillment they pulled from worshipping Allah. This sense of belonging and importance defiantly beckons for Najwa, who graciously answers the call. Najwa tightens up in her faith, and begins to admire the devoted Muslim, Tamer, that is the brother of her employer. It’s a stark contrast to the Najwa before the coup ever occurred. Najwa then very much cared about her image, and chased fulfillment in school and social circles. Now more mature, Najwa’s focus has completely shifted due the hardship and circumstances brought upon
Although, he tries to better himself, Yunior’s awful treatment to women prohibit him from attaining a significant connection with them. His dishonesty erodes his strength, health, and his relationships with not only women, but his family and friends. Yunior realizes that his own heartbreak was his own fault due to betraying his fiance. His language of objectifying women only makes the reader see how disrespectful he is towards females. His words and actions towards his past lovers make him regretful and guilty for the hurt he put them though. He becomes aware of the fact that he lost someone precious which leads him to feel remorse for himself. His chaotic love life forces him to understand that he is horrible in the way he treats and views women, the relationship with his ex fiance was a real learning experience for him, and cheaters never
The authoritative figures in a teen’s life mold them for adulthood. In Shaymus’ case, the negative examples set by his parents and the role models around him are far from exemplary. Starting with an alcoholic father who uses alcohol as an outlet “to deal with the people at their worst…”, Shaymus fears that he is on a brink of violence. “Doggy gone pepper spray… in case, my old man buries the needle on the drunk meter”. And a mother pretends to a sweeter person in front of her husband... “Behind closed doors…Ma’s kinda this other person I don’t really know.” The author exemplifies dysfunctionality to Shaymus’ life as the
The biggest gender issues in this book relate to the culture of Middle Eastern Society. Amir must address all adults as “Kaka” or “Khala” (uncle and aunt) regardless of his blood relation to them. Also, when Amir wanted to marry Soraya, he had to ask his Baba to meet with General Taheri for Soraya’s hand.
The short story, Araby, by James Joyce uses first person perspective to convey the story of coming of age about boy who is beginning to make the transition from childhood to adulthood. This short story depicts the misunderstanding between love and infatuation in teenagers. The narrator falls in “love” with a girl, known as Mangan’s sister, and decides to impress her by buying her a gift. Araby represents the exaggerated idea of love and what it involves through an analysis of setting and similes.
“Gender is one of those big themes that is a little difficult to nail down, in part because it often informs a text without being explicitly addressed. Of course, there are instances in Sula in which we do get direct commentary on gender and gender roles, particularly as they relate to the limits placed on women. But more often than not, we have to dig a little deeper to understand the gender dynamics. And it 's not just men who are invested in upholding certain gender roles while dismantling others. Some women are just as invested in maintaining these societal roles, no matter how restrictive they seem.”
Perhaps the main reason I liked this book was the unfaltering courage of the author in the face of such torture as hurts one even to read, let alone have to experience first-hand. Where men give in, this woman perseveres, and, eventually, emerges a stronger person, if that is even possible. The book’s main appeal is emotional, although sound logical arguments are also used. This book is also interesting as it shows us another face of Nasir – the so-called “champion of Arab nationalism” – who is also the enemy of pan-Islamism. The book is also proof of history repeating itself in modern-day Egypt.
Overall, the story Araby is interesting in and out of itself. There are several lessons to be learned depending on the perspective of the reader. James Joyce did a phenomenal job in portraying that just as the boy realized he went to the bazaar in vain, it is probably the same with the girl. Simply, the readers are able to clearly realize that the author’s intent was to make the boy realize that the girl may not be all that the boy accepts, just as the bazaar
Amidst the glittery throng of South-Asian Literature, Nadeem Aslam’s Maps For Lost Lovers rises to a stature of its own. Aslam, in his novel, builds characters whose lives revolve around a plethora of symbols. These symbols not only help in deciphering all of his characters, but it also adds depth and substance to their personalities. The three-dimensional nature of these characters, uncovers their complexity. Interestingly, these abstract symbols and signs can be linked to the ancient tradition of folklore and mythology. Suraya, one of Nadeem Aslam’s characters, is of an elusive, intangible and mysterious nature. She tempts Shamas and Charag with her beauty; and it is precisely this attribute of her character that can directly be linked to mythology itself. Thus, the main premise of this response is to proclaim Suraya as the Siren in Nadeem Aslam’s text.
Suleiman’s narration of the novel allows the reader to see that Libya is a male dominant society where women were not allowed to be educated, work or given any sort of authority and freedom outside the home. Women do have power within the home particularly with the children and family. The reader discovers some feminine power in Najwa which is illustrated in her parenting of Suleiman. When she feels guilt for her drinking bouts she takes him on a drive to their favourite café and insists on buying treats for him. When her husband is away on business, Najwa has the freedom to drive a car and make decisions about the family’s nutrition and health. Even though drinking of alcohol is forbidden in Libya, Najwa has the confidence and power to buy it illegally. She concerns herself about Suleiman particularly with food. She is in charge of the daily running of the household and demonstrates her skill ably. Therefore this shows that Najwa does in fact have more power than all the men in the novel. [according to the topic sen...