Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi Essay - 1298 Words

Captivity in Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi, is a strongly emphasized theme. Fideaus the protagonist is constantly constrained and surveilled within the realms of the Egyptian society subsequently being emotionally, and twice literally, captive. The significance of captivity in Woman at Point Zero is not only for plot or dramatic effect. In the writing of Woman At Point Zero Nawal El Saadawi wishes to inform the reader about the captivity felt by some women in suppressive countries. In this way, she means the protagonist Firdaus to not only represent one woman but many. Captivity in Woman at Point Zero is not only that of the literal, lock and key. Throughout the novel Firdaus is subject to varying forms of captivity, emotionally†¦show more content†¦On describing her captivity in marriage Firdaus also states A virtuous woman was not supposed to complain about her husband, her duty was perfect obedience., thus, in order to be good one must be totally submissive. Thi s description of a virtuous woman shows how ingrained social expectations were in the society of 1970s , if one must be perfectly obedient to one other person at all times, then obviously they are captive in both expectations and duty, a duty that was for Firdaus, forced upon her. The captivity is not physical, but rather mental and inflicted onto Firdaus from societal expectations. Firdaus later reflects upon the captivity she felt in her marriage stating â€Å"I would rather be a free prostitute than an enslaved wife.† The adjective enslaved shows that Firdaus believes wives to be, literal slaves, captive in their marriage. Stating she would prefer to be a prostitute instead of a wife is shocking to a western reader, as generally being a wife is thought to be freer and safer than having to sell your body. Al Sadawi in this phrase not only shocks the reader, but further introduces the reader to the foreign paradigm of a middle-eastern wife and the sheer desperation due to c aptivity experienced. Literal captivity in Firdauses life is experienced under Bayoumi, who entraps Firdaus and prevents her from having physical and emotional freedom as he traps her in his apartment, using her a sex-object for himself and hisShow MoreRelatedWoman At Point Zero By Nawal El Saadawi1416 Words   |  6 PagesNawal El Saadawi’s novel, Woman at Point Zero, can be considered to be a rebellion against authoritarian political and patriarchal structures because it tells of Firdaus’ life story in way that shows an obvious discontent with the way society views women and the way it glorifies aspects that go again societal norms. Saadawi places a large emphasis on the descriptions of eyes in the novel to express Firdaus’ feelings towards certain characters. 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In the works, Woman atRead MoreA Woman Placed On Death Row For Murdering Her Pimp1558 Words   |  7 PagesNawal El Saadawi, author of Woman at Point Zero, once said, â€Å"Women in most countries have not achieved much, because they can t be liberated under the patriarchal†¦ system...which is governed by power, not justice, by false democracy, not real freedom.† This quote addresses a certain idea that is prevalent in the novel: men have immense power over women in Egypt. 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The technique of masculinity is presented in various stories, such as â€Å"Yamira, Atafa, and the King† and Saadawi’s book Woman at Point Z ero, which are further analyzed in this essay, which not onlyRead MoreFemale Oppression : Religion Or Culture?1992 Words   |  8 Pagesideals of Islam. Though Nawal El Saadawi identifies as a Muslim woman, she gives off a similar impression of Islam as Ali. Saadawi shows many of the negative aspects of Islam and emphasizes Western stereotypes. By using the most religious male characters in her novel, Woman at Point Zero, to commit the most horrific and objectifying acts, Saadawi is allowing her Western audience to continue to take the side of stereotypes.In attempts to explain the flaws in Egyptian cultures, Saadawi is unable to show