Unfortunately, oppression is a dominant aspect of society, but there is a prevailing phenomenon regarding women being victimized in particular. Women have long faced discrimination surrounding their physical appearance and personal decisions as well, which is seen in Woman at Point Zero and The Book of Memory. The novels’ main characters, Firdaus and Memory, share how their experiences of being objectified and confined, both mentally and physically, have forced them into precarious existences.
In Woman at Point Zero, Firdaus faces a great deal of oppression because of her sexuality and prostitution, which itself is seen as impure and shameful. The first time she truly becomes aware of her sexuality occurs during her childhood, when her uncle molests her. This awakening is complicated by her circumcision, which leaves her awareness of her sexuality unclear and causes it to be utilized as a business tool instead of an intimate experience. The figurative exploitation of Firdaus’ body occurs within the patriarchal family when her uncle marries her off to an old, abusive man. Her involvement in prostitution is linked to her fleeing this patriarchal family into the streets where she meets Bayoumi who he locks her up and exploits her further. The fact that Firdaus is forced into prostitution at the mercy of a male figure speaks to the oppression and exploitation women suffered and continue to suffer under the rule of men in the Africa, especially in Egypt (Khaled).
After being
In Woman at Point Zero, Firdaus faces a great deal of oppression because of her sexuality and prostitution, which itself is seen as impure and shameful. The first time she truly becomes aware of her sexuality occurs during her childhood, when her uncle molests her. This awakening is complicated by her circumcision, which leaves her awareness of her sexuality unclear and causes it to be utilized as a business tool instead of an intimate experience. The figurative exploitation of Firdaus’ body occurs within the patriarchal family when her uncle marries her off to an old, abusive man. Her involvement in prostitution is linked to her fleeing this patriarchal family into the streets where she meets Bayoumi who he locks her up and exploits her further. The fact that Firdaus is forced into prostitution at the mercy of a male figure speaks to the oppression and exploitation women suffered and continue to suffer under the rule of men in the Africa, especially in Egypt (Khaled).
After being