THE EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN AND SOCIAL CHANGE: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF NAWAL EL SAADAWI’S WOMAN AT POINT ZERO

Abstract

In patriarchal societies like that of Egypt two centuries ago, women were characterized by rules and culture. During the late nineteenth century, women were kept only at indoors and treated differently than men.  Women throughout the world face inequity based on gender that leaves not only a physical scar but also a mental scar which is difficult to obliterate. Women have become aware of their importance and they have fought for their rights from long back and it is still prevalent because it has not been achieved yet. Nawal El-Saadawi in her novel Woman at Point Zero demonstrates that the women gender is extremely oppressed and culturally suppressed in the Arab society of Egypt. In Woman at Point Zero, El-Saadawi beautifully depicts the condition of Egyptian women especially Firdaus, who is the protagonist of the novel. Firdaus describes her complete life story which is full of misery and pain done to her by the men in her life and society. This novel also reveals that the position of women is still under men. Hence this article creates a bridge to close the gap that women are connected with each other no matter what country or race they belong to, through the pain that causes gender- based discrimination. Firdaus explains her story to El- Saadawi by putting light on different phases of life widespread in the society which dominate women at every means such as education, female genital mutilation, domestic violence, prostitution and self-emancipation.

Keywords

patriarchy, culture, discrimination, education, female mutilation, domestic attacks

Works Cited

El Saadawi, Nawal. Woman at Point Zero, trans. Sherif Hetata, London: 1990.

Gerner, Deborah J. “Women and Societal Change.” Arab Studies Quarterly, Pluto Journals, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 186–91, 1986.

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Wilany, Eka. Feminism Analysis in the novel “Woman at Point Zero”. Journal Anglo Saxon, vol.8. pp. 115- 121, 2017.

To cite this article

Ashmi.  (2022). The Exploitation of Women and Social Change: An Analytical Study of Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman At Point Zero.  John Foundation Journal of EduSpark, 4(1), 51-59.