Pillars of Salt, A Woman of Five Seasons and A Balcony over the Fakihani :: Arab Women Culture Essays

Pillars of Salt, A Woman of Five Seasons and A Balcony over the Fakihani Works Cited Missing The most latent component of the three novels: â€Å"Pillars of Salt†, â€Å"A Woman of Five Seasons†, and â€Å"A Balcony over the Fakihani† is the struggle of all the women in them. Theirs is a struggle at all levels, a struggle from the occupation of their land and war, a struggle from the occupation of their bodies or what could be considered a war against their bodies, and a sexual, and a power struggle. The women in these novels survive a fight that is almost impossible to win. They do not even posses their bodies. Some are given away in marriage, but even if they are not, their bodies serve the purpose of giving lineage to their husbands. If they are incapable they are deemed as defective and possibly discarded. Their entire beings serve as trophies in their husband’s list of successes, not just a show of their virility, through lineage, but also a show of their ability to manage their possessions . Their bodies can only be enjoyed by the man they marry. If they are not pure by the time of marriage they are deemed dishonorable and not marriageable. Virginity has to be proved to safeguard the bride’s family honor, not the groom’s. The women of these novels are there only in relationship to their men. They compliment them. It is only during war that the couples become more equal helping each other to survive the larger monster. Then the women are in control, in possession of themselves and in a team with their husbands. But war only brings destruction, and most of the women end up alone having to bring up the next generation on their own. The subjugation of the women begins with their education which for the most part comes from their mothers and their family. The general consensus is that women, girls, are lower than boys, regardless of their traits. Even those who are overall considered good mothers perpetuate this image to their daughters: â€Å"What do you expect? He is a boy. Allah placed him a step higher. We must accept Allah’s verdict,† said Maha’s mother condoning her brother Daffash’s bad behavior. (Faqir 33) The training of little girls to understand their position under men begins when they are small, in their families. The fact that he is a boy gives him an innate position above all women.