Reflective Statement
One thing that struck me after participating in the interactive oral was the background story of the novel and the author, El Saadawi, around the time the book was released. When the book was published, it experienced very harsh criticism because of the content and life of the characters in the book. Many who lived in the Middle East thought that the portrayal of Firdaus was too extreme and that there were many other sides of Egypt other than that of prostitution and corruption. I found it interesting that the author seems to only address an extreme in the novel instead of addressing other positive elements in Egyptian culture. Throughout the novel it appears that Firdaus is going to meet someone who could have a positive …show more content…
The author calls attention to this issue with the story of Firdaus and her continuous struggle. Although Firdaus is an ambitious person she still finds herself trapped in a life that is immoral, based on the expectations of Egyptian society. She wishes to have a more authentic life, one that will “fill [her] with pride” (13). Water is often symbolic of cleansing and redemption but is used by El Saadawi to show Firdaus as powerless in its current, being swept along or cast into the sea. At points throughout the novel Firdaus seems to have found her way, reborn into a life that she wants. Water imagery appears at these points to assist the author in establishing a circular motif. El Saadawi uses different forms of water imagery to convey the cyclical nature of Firdaus’ life as well as her views on the society in which she …show more content…
The presence and absence of water are important to both display the circularity of Firdaus’ life and give the reader insight into how she views her life at important moments. Water imagery takes different forms throughout the novel but none of them can redeem Firdaus. Instead the imagery suggests that she is continually thrown back and forth by a current beyond her control. This changes when the water freezes over and Firdaus is at peace. By moving past the water in the novel Firdaus is free from the system that constrained her. El Saadawi’s use of water imagery ultimately is a tool for commenting on the urgent need for change in Egyptian
One thing that struck me after participating in the interactive oral was the background story of the novel and the author, El Saadawi, around the time the book was released. When the book was published, it experienced very harsh criticism because of the content and life of the characters in the book. Many who lived in the Middle East thought that the portrayal of Firdaus was too extreme and that there were many other sides of Egypt other than that of prostitution and corruption. I found it interesting that the author seems to only address an extreme in the novel instead of addressing other positive elements in Egyptian culture. Throughout the novel it appears that Firdaus is going to meet someone who could have a positive …show more content…
The author calls attention to this issue with the story of Firdaus and her continuous struggle. Although Firdaus is an ambitious person she still finds herself trapped in a life that is immoral, based on the expectations of Egyptian society. She wishes to have a more authentic life, one that will “fill [her] with pride” (13). Water is often symbolic of cleansing and redemption but is used by El Saadawi to show Firdaus as powerless in its current, being swept along or cast into the sea. At points throughout the novel Firdaus seems to have found her way, reborn into a life that she wants. Water imagery appears at these points to assist the author in establishing a circular motif. El Saadawi uses different forms of water imagery to convey the cyclical nature of Firdaus’ life as well as her views on the society in which she …show more content…
The presence and absence of water are important to both display the circularity of Firdaus’ life and give the reader insight into how she views her life at important moments. Water imagery takes different forms throughout the novel but none of them can redeem Firdaus. Instead the imagery suggests that she is continually thrown back and forth by a current beyond her control. This changes when the water freezes over and Firdaus is at peace. By moving past the water in the novel Firdaus is free from the system that constrained her. El Saadawi’s use of water imagery ultimately is a tool for commenting on the urgent need for change in Egyptian