Symbolism In A Woman At Point Zero

In Nawal El Saadawi’s novel A Woman at Point Zero, the author frequently uses symbols to convey significance and drive the plot along throughout the novel. The Nile is an important symbol that she uses twice in the book–once after Firdaus runs away from Bayoumi’s house and is taken in by Sharifa, and again after she stabs Marzouk. In both of these occurrences, the Nile is used to symbolize rebirth and freedom, which correlates with ancient Egyptian mythology. Furthermore, Firdaus’ inability to see the Nile when it is laid out before her eyes symbolizes captivity and change in Firdaus’ life. Egyptian mythology regarding the Nile corresponds with the river’s importance in the novel. The Nile would flood once a year, fertilizing the Egyptian soils and bringing prosperity with it. Ancient Egyptians would annually sacrifice to Hepi, the Egyptian god of the Nile, in order to ensure that the Nile would flood at the right rate that year and they would get a good harvest for the year. The ancient culture was centered around the Nile and they depended on the river and saw life in the river. This parallels with how Firdaus found her liveliness and sense of purpose in the river as well as how important the Nile was regarding her success as Sharifa’s prostitute. The author primarily uses the Nile to symbolize rebirth …show more content…
Firdaus becomes a respected woman somewhere during her walk along the Nile after she stabbed Marzouk. It is along the banks of the Nile that she finds her self-confidence, becoming “a woman who believed in herself, knew where she was going, and could see her goal.” The Nile fills her with confidence and a sense of purpose, and it is where she finds the self-respect to hold her head high as if she were a queen. The river rejuvenates her, clearing her mind so that she can finally see the self-respect that she has always had for herself before she is sentenced to