"Women at Point Zero"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains how "Women at Point Zero" tells the story of a young woman's struggle for freedom among the restrictions of Egyptian and Arabic society. The novel's protagonist, Firdaus, struggles to find her way among the brutality of male dominance in Egyptian society. The paper discusses a number of key societal issues, including the issues of gender relations, politics and social class. It explains that through the examination of these issues in protagonist Firdaus' life, El Saadawi reinforces the theme of female oppression across all aspects of life in Egyptian society, from the personal, to the social and political.

From the Paper:

"Throughout the novel, gender relations are unequal and violent. Women exist as a tool to be used by men, and are frequently violently and brutally oppressed with little or no consequence for such actions. Firdaus is sexually and physically abused by the men in her life. Her treatment is so brutal that she comes to think of her father, who used to beat her mother, as a kind man, and misses him. Firdaus' relationship with her husband, Sheikh Mahmoud, is typical. El Saadawi writes of the relationship with Sheikh Mahmoud: "One day he hit me (Firdaus) with his heavy stick until the blood ran from my nose and ears. So I left, but this time I did not go to my uncle's house. I walked through the streets with swollen eyes, and a bruised face, but no one paid any attention to me." Here, both the abuse by her husband and society's failure to react to Firdaus' easily seen bruises and swollen face clearly validate a man's right to mistreat and abuse a woman."

More papers on "Women at Point Zero":

• Analytical Essay # 136669 : "Point Zero in Nawal El Saadawi's, 'Woman at Point-Zero'"
• Book Review # 106982 : "Nawal Saadawi's "Woman at Point Zero"
• Book Review # 136672 : "Point-Zero in Nawal El-Saadawi's Work"

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