Nawal El Sadaawi writes in Woman at Point Zero a fictional story regarding Firdaus, a female prostitute on trial for killing a man. Firdaus reluctantly shares her life story with a woman psychiatrist who documents her change in perspective on female oppression for the reader. The cynical plot conveys the unfair life of Firdaus and her attempt at overcoming the unjust social environment that surrounds her. El Sadaawi shows how through the presence of minor characters Firdaus was consistently let down by both the men and women in her society and forced to take matters into her own hands – becoming a heroic martyr for overcoming female oppression.
To show females in Egypt that the oppression of women was a real concern, El Sadaawi develops the character of Firdaus and chronicles real life issues she faces with oppression. Firdaus is first set apart from the typical female archetype in Egypt when she comments, “I knew that women did not become heads of state, but I …show more content…
First El Shadawi proves that Firdaus’s cause is worthwhile through characterization and plot, then through Firdaus’s encounters with various minor characters El Sadaawi shows how great action is necessary to invoke social change. El Sadaawi shows the neverending abuse Firdaus received from the men in her society and how the traditional female was unwilling to stand of for herself. Firdaus desired to make change as a positive educational and political influence, but due to the lack of acceptance she received from government and the educational sectors she was forced to make change in the only way she knew possible. By retaliating against the powerful man, the prince, Firdaus became a martyr for actively fighting female oppression in