Written Task 2
Prescribed Question: How could the text be read differently by two different readers? The novel Woman at Point Zero, written by Nawal El Saadawi is about a young Egyptian woman named Firdaus and what happened to her throughout her life. There are three very important themes in this novel (domestic violence against women, women’s independence, and a male dominated society) that will be helpful in interpreting the different reader’s point of views. Each theme will be set around a scene that portrays the particular theme. For this question, the two different readers will be a person in support of legalizing prostitution (reader one) and a person who’s against it (reader two). Both reader’s interpretations will be displayed for …show more content…
Throughout the book Firdaus is abused sexually, physically, and emotionally. And there’s even a time when she’s a witness to some abuse. The scene that represents this is when Fawzy and Sharifa are having a confrontation about who gets Firdaus. Fawzy is insisting on taking her with him, but Sharifa isn’t allowing that and is will to fight for it, saying things like “If you hit me I will hit back, Fawzy.” (59). This shows that she’s prepared for whatever Fawzy is going to do to her. Reader one would use this as an argument about how legalizing prostitution would provide security the women and men. Making it more difficult for violent attacks like the one between Sharifa and Fawzy. There would be protection for the prostitutes and they wouldn’t be scared of getting in trouble with the police if they reported abuse. Reader two would use this for an argument against the legalization of prostitution by explaining how this violence against men and women would continue to happen even if it got legalized. Killing people, stealing, and abuse are all illegal, but that doesn’t stop people from continuing to do those things every single day. Legalizing it would only allow for the violence to …show more content…
In this society, men are allowed to physically harm women without punishment, they have better paying jobs, and they have to be respected by women. When Firdaus was younger she got her secondary school certificate and was wanting to put it to use by getting a job. She hated the lifestyle of having to sit at home and be a maid. When she did get a job, she had to stop living the lavish lifestyle that came with being a prostitute and begin living in poverty again “What I called home was not a house, or a flat, but merely a small room without a toilet.” (73). The bathroom that was available always had a really long line and they were very unsanitary. She didn’t get paid nearly as much but her goal was to be a respectable woman. Reader one would use this to argue that with legalizing prostitution, there wouldn’t be a male dominant society, women would be able to be in charge and live above poverty without having to rely on a man to give her that lifestyle. On the other hand, reader two would use this to support the unlikeliness of this business being able to prosper if it was legalized. Men aren’t going to want women to be able to be higher than them in social status. Or even be able to live a life above poverty without a man in front of her making that possible. As showed, there’s a lot of conflict when it comes to the legalization of prostitution. Each reader bringing up very valid points as to why it would or wouldn’t work. And
Prescribed Question: How could the text be read differently by two different readers? The novel Woman at Point Zero, written by Nawal El Saadawi is about a young Egyptian woman named Firdaus and what happened to her throughout her life. There are three very important themes in this novel (domestic violence against women, women’s independence, and a male dominated society) that will be helpful in interpreting the different reader’s point of views. Each theme will be set around a scene that portrays the particular theme. For this question, the two different readers will be a person in support of legalizing prostitution (reader one) and a person who’s against it (reader two). Both reader’s interpretations will be displayed for …show more content…
Throughout the book Firdaus is abused sexually, physically, and emotionally. And there’s even a time when she’s a witness to some abuse. The scene that represents this is when Fawzy and Sharifa are having a confrontation about who gets Firdaus. Fawzy is insisting on taking her with him, but Sharifa isn’t allowing that and is will to fight for it, saying things like “If you hit me I will hit back, Fawzy.” (59). This shows that she’s prepared for whatever Fawzy is going to do to her. Reader one would use this as an argument about how legalizing prostitution would provide security the women and men. Making it more difficult for violent attacks like the one between Sharifa and Fawzy. There would be protection for the prostitutes and they wouldn’t be scared of getting in trouble with the police if they reported abuse. Reader two would use this for an argument against the legalization of prostitution by explaining how this violence against men and women would continue to happen even if it got legalized. Killing people, stealing, and abuse are all illegal, but that doesn’t stop people from continuing to do those things every single day. Legalizing it would only allow for the violence to …show more content…
In this society, men are allowed to physically harm women without punishment, they have better paying jobs, and they have to be respected by women. When Firdaus was younger she got her secondary school certificate and was wanting to put it to use by getting a job. She hated the lifestyle of having to sit at home and be a maid. When she did get a job, she had to stop living the lavish lifestyle that came with being a prostitute and begin living in poverty again “What I called home was not a house, or a flat, but merely a small room without a toilet.” (73). The bathroom that was available always had a really long line and they were very unsanitary. She didn’t get paid nearly as much but her goal was to be a respectable woman. Reader one would use this to argue that with legalizing prostitution, there wouldn’t be a male dominant society, women would be able to be in charge and live above poverty without having to rely on a man to give her that lifestyle. On the other hand, reader two would use this to support the unlikeliness of this business being able to prosper if it was legalized. Men aren’t going to want women to be able to be higher than them in social status. Or even be able to live a life above poverty without a man in front of her making that possible. As showed, there’s a lot of conflict when it comes to the legalization of prostitution. Each reader bringing up very valid points as to why it would or wouldn’t work. And