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Crossing Boundaries and Stereotypes
In comparing the four books and the female characters from “Pillars of Salt”, “A Woman of Five Seasons”, “Dreams of Trespass”, and “In the Eye of the Sun”, we explore the similarities and differences of the women and how their roles in the Arab world are controlled or influenced by societal expectations and stereotypes. In other words, these women are confined by either a physical or mental hudud, a frontier, in which they are bound to the laws and regulations that govern Arab societies. Despite each woman’s age, class/wealth, and locality, their expected role in Arab culture transcends these differences. When women act against societal norms, this “trespassing leads [them] only to sorrow and unhappiness” (Mernissi, p.2). In essence, women who step beyond their restricted boundaries face consequences and are often condemned by both men and women. In this paper, I will discuss the stereotypes, societal expectations, and limitations which confine women, and the factors which may allow these women to surpass the supposed consequences when they break free from their boundaries.
Women roles and stereotypes are subtly touched upon or are one of the main themes presented within the books. Some of these roles are implied through the main characters responsibilities towards the family, men’s viewpoints, and information passed through generations and religion, and the contrast of tradition against Westernization. There are six common themes that have been presented in the books which are: (1) women are weak; (2) they are powerless and controlled; (3) Materialistic and money hungry; (4) Marriage; (5) Child bearing and mothers; and (6) Their role within the home and as a wife.
Women as weak
Both the men and the religious philosophy discussed in the books support and strengthen the view of women being weak individuals. In Dreams of Trespass, the characters begin by discussing the boundaries that set women apart from men, and in this discussion they talk about how “hurt[ing] a woman, [is] violating Allah’s sacred frontier. It is unlawful to hurt the weak” (Mernissi, p.3). Even religion equates women as being weak individuals and perhaps this is the reason why women’s strength is often misconceived. As a result, men often restrict women from travelling on their own because they believe, “travel is dangerous and women can’t defend themselves” (Mernissi, p.3). Additionally, when describing the purposes of the harem, the father asks “where will the troubled women go” (Mernissi, p.16) if he does not let them into the harem. Similar to other men, he believes that it is his duty to protect the women from living out on the streets and to give them shelter. In considering the women who qualify for being ‘troubled’, it only consists of women who are maidens, divorced, or widowed. In this sense, the use of the word ‘troubled’ is undermining a woman’s capability of being independent from men; men not only assume that a woman is incapable of protecting herself physically, but also supporting herself financially. However, it is not only men who believe that women are weak, but also the women themselves. Even at a young age, women have already been conditioned by both gender stereotypes and religion in believing that they are weaker beings and this is evident when Fatima feels that “if [she] only kept following him [Samir], nothing bad could happen to [her]” (Mernissi, p.8). In essence, weakness is caused by misconceptions and the undermining of women’s physical strength as well as financial dependence.
Powerless and controlled
In addition to women being construed as weak individuals, they are also seen as having no power and are often controlled, both willingly and unwillingly, by men. Having power was a sign of a woman’s independence and her ability to be free from a man’s control. However, women are constantly struggling with their powerlessness within society, within the home and within themselves. The first example of women being powerless within society is demonstrated by Pillars of Salt in which Maha’s father wishes to give his land to her but “the land must go to its ploughman.” (Faqir, p.173) Even though, Maha is the plough woman, the rules governing her society does not allow her to own the land. This suggests that a woman’s place and importance in society is lesser than men. Women’s powerlessness is further emphasized in A Woman of Five Seasons when Nadia waits for Ihsan to invite her into his business but “women in Barqais don’t count in what men do” (Al-Atrash, p.45). It is evident that society not only restricts women from gaining power, but they are also excluded by men, from entering and gaining power through businesses. In both A Women of Five Seasons and Dreams of Trespass, the women are restricted from learning and getting educated, and these women have no power in society because their “powerlessness stems from ignorance and a lack of education.” (Mernissi, p.170) Education allows women to have thoughts and it is also gives them a more westernize way of thinking that men do not like. The men like having compliant women, and in the case of Chrissie, her husband married another woman because she was “Nothing. A servant. But then, that’s what he always wanted.” (Soueif, p.437) Men expect the women to be compliant to their wishes, but Chrissie was too independent. This is further supported by Ihsan, who tries to control Nadia by taking away her books and replacing them with tabloid magazines, and he is successful because “she obeys [Ihsan] absolutely. She even stopped reading books for [his] sake.” (Al-Atrash, p.28) Even Nadia admits her defeat to Ihsan, and how she had let him take control over her life and how she did everything that he wanted. In this sense, Nadia is not only powerless because of her lack of education, but she is also powerless within the home. In addition, she is battling with her inner self, who “is a suffering too, weak and suppressed, powerless to rise to resistance and refusal, when Ihsan treats [her] as his toy…” (Al-Atrash, p.35) Nadia is balancing between her own needs and the rules placed on her when she became a wife and a mother. In sum, powerlessness stems from gender inequality, lack of education, and a woman’s compliance towards men.
Materialistic and vain
Women are often characterized as gold diggers, only caring about money and goods, and the way they look. Since women are supposedly preoccupied with getting married, they often dress up in order to capture a man’s love. Their main concern is to look pretty, so they would “wax [their] legs, line [their] eyes, paint [their] lips.” (Faqir, p.159) This idea of looking beautiful to attract men is already instilled at a young age. In Dreams of Trespass, Fatima no longer plays with Samir because she believes that her skin is more important and that it is “a woman’s fate to be beautiful.” (Mernissi, p.220) She is influenced by her mother and aunts who would put on face masks, regardless how they may look and smell, just to have beautiful skin. Women become so preoccupied by looking good and having money that they have “nothing to talk about but money, and clothes, and perfumes, and husbands.” (Al-Atrash, p.40) Even Asya from In the Eye of the Sun, is embarrassed by the woolly hat she had to buy because it made her look ugly. Even though the hat made Asya look ugly, it kept her warm. This supports the worldwide stereotypical cliché applied to women which is ‘beauty equals pain’. The men in the novels also believe in these misconceptions and they only think that women are “fond of clothes, and perfumes, and jewelry…” (Al-Atrash, p.111) or in the words of the general in A Woman of Five Seasons: “All a woman wants is a trailing gown, a bag spilling out stuff- and iron beating iron.” (Al-Atrash, p.48)
Marriage
In Arab culture, and perhaps many other cultures as well, marriage is considered a very important event for families and for the women. In the four books, marriage is an expected stage of a woman’s life; “Boys had to be educated and girls had to be married…” (Soueif, p.27) Women do not get to choose if they want to get married, they are constantly pressured by the norms of society as well as their parents. In the case of Um Saad from Pillars of Salt, her parents had forced her to get married to a stranger because they wanted to get rid of her. Additionally, there is a stereotype or societal misconception that women want to get married, and “girls who got married were lucky and girls who had not would spend the year waiting for the summer” (Faqir, p.118). The use of the words ‘married’ and ‘lucky’ is constantly indoctrinated into a women’s mind and therefore they begin to believe marriage is what they want. Marriage is further emphasized and reinforced by the consequences of being single; unmarried women are often chastised by society and they are also powerless within the home.
Child bearing and mothers
After a woman gets married, she is automatically expected to bear a child in order to start a family. Pressured by society and family, the woman will try to do anything in order to get pregnant. In Pillars of Salt, Maha had a hard time getting pregnant, and her aunt would constantly bother her about it. Harb’s friend who also knew of Maha’s difficulties told Harb: “If you bought an English rifle and found out that it did not shoot what would you do? You would throw it way and buy another” (Faqir, p.70). This demonstrates the importance placed upon child bearing and how women were just vessels and could easily be replaced if they could not give a child to their husband. In Dreams of Trespass, there is a more extreme example of how important pregnancy is within a marriage and that a husband could “[dismiss] a wife just because she does not produce a son.” (Mernissi, p.33) It did not matter if the wife is reproductive and can give birth, it is more important that she gives birth to a son. In Arab culture, it is expected for women to give birth, and those who cannot give birth are threatened with divorce and are also ostracized by family members.
Role within the home and as a wife
After a woman gets married she is expected to fulfill her assigned roles of taking care of the house work, looking after the children and taking care of the parents. The parents would endlessly advise their daughters that her “responsibility is to [her] husband and [her] children.” (Soueif, p.604) Throughout the books, the women are always seen in the kitchen cooking or doing some kind of household chores. Before the women are married, they are also taught that their duty in the house was to “serve the husband and see to his comfort” (Al-Atrash, p.31) and “to fall into everything he commands” (Al-Atrash, p.96). Regardless of how the woman might think or feel, she is expected to please her husband. Nadia’s neighbor in Damascus “used to deck [herself] out, put the children to bed, and then wait, no matter how tired [she] was” (Al-Atrash, p.96). Evidently, women are expected and taught to serve their husbands. Even the husbands expect their wives to be supportive, and in A Woman of Five Seasons, Ihsan uses ‘sensible’ to describe a woman “who stands by her husband and supports him” (Al-Atrash, p.36). This implies that a woman who does not espouse her husband is senseless and stupid.
Boundaries and limitations that constrict women are also explored within the books. “The frontier indicates the line of power because wherever there is a frontier, there are two kinds of creatures walking on Allah’s earth, the powerful on one side, and the powerless on the other.”(Mernissi, p.242)) On Allah’s earth, the men are the powerful ones and the women are the powerless. There are two kinds of ‘hudud’ or ‘frontiers’ that the women are trapped in: A mental hudud, in which women experience an internalized sense of barriers, restricting them from thinking; and a physical hudud, in which women are confined by tangible objects and rules. The books also show the consequences of overstepping these barriers and how nothing good comes out from it.
Mental frontier
Women in the novels often find themselves restricted mentally and are not given the opportunities to express their thoughts and desires. In the novel In the Eye of the Sun, Asya was only given permission to initiate conversations because she was studying for the Thanawiyya ‘Ana. Even then, she could only argue some of her ideas and she still had to respect her elders. The other women in the other novels were not as fortunate; they are bound by traditions which “require women to walk on their feet” (Mernissi, p.127), and prevents them from dreaming of flying away. In Dreams of Trespass, Fatima is taught the two prerequisites to growing wings: “The first is to feel encircled and the second is to believe that you can break the circle” (Mernissi, p.204). This constitutes as a boundary because breaking the circle is dependent upon the person’s mental capability and whether they have a strong and determined mind. In a situation where men constantly undermine a woman’s capability, their beliefs systems are inevitably influenced and they may be discouraged.
Physical frontier
Throughout the books, the women are restricted from crossing boundaries by physical walls, time, age, and traditions which imprison them. In both Pillars of Salt and Dreams of Trespass the women talk about a physical wall that prevents them from doing the things they want to do. When Maha tries to kill Daffash for raping Nasra, she is stopped by the strength of her brother. Here she realizes “how high the mud walls [are] imprisoning [them].” (Faqir, p.13) Essentially, Maha realizes how her strength as a woman cannot surpass a man, as well the fact that under this roof, she will not be allowed to kill her brother because it is against society and their religion. This is further emphasized by Maha’s father who “did not want [Maha] to work in the field because it was exhausting and shameful. A woman’s place was in a well-closed room.” (Faqir, p.20) Maha is not only restricted by her strength, but also the places she can be and the work that she can do; it is ‘shameful’ for a woman to be outside doing work, she should be indoors doing housework. Similarly, the women in Dreams of Trespass are not allowed to go outside without permission; they are literally bound to the courtyard of their harem. By keeping the women in harems it prevents “them from becoming too smart…running around the planet is what makes the brain race…and to put [the women’s] brains to sleep in the dead behind the locks and the walls.” (Mernissi, p.86) Women are prevented by these walls in challenging their mind and to learn. Women are also bound by time and cannot be out late at night because it is “a crime of honor.” (Faqir, p.10) In parts of Arab society, women are required to wear the hijab, the traditional veil, which is a physical object that embodies the inequality of men and women. In Asya’s college, the student who wore the hijab was living evidence that a woman’s voice is ‘awra; a woman who wore the hijab could not speak. In addition, Asya was criticized by her mother for agreeing to marry Saif because of her age: “But you can’t make such an important decision just like that. You can’t determine the rest of your life suddenly in one night when you’re not yet eighteen.” (Soueif, p.108) Asya is an example of how women cannot make important decisions because they are bound by their age. Whereas, men are allowed to make their own decisions and to marry who they want.
Consequences
Women are discouraged and often scared to overstep their boundaries because they are taught the consequences of their actions. In Dreams of Trespass, Fatima is taught that “wherever there are human beings, there is a qa’ida, or invisible rule. If you stick to the qa’ida, nothing bad could happen to you.” (Mernissi, p.62) Although, she is not told specifically what these ‘bad’ things are she is told through the story of Asmahan how love cannot coexist with career: “[Asmahan] thought that a woman could have both love and a career and insisted on living a full conjugal life while at the same time exploring and exhibiting her talents as an actress and a singer.” (Mernissi, p.106) Though, Asmahan was able to live a fulfilling life, all her marriages ended in divorces. Those who cross the boundaries are often feminists who believe in equality between men and women, however their “lives seemed to be all about fighting and unhappy marriages, never about happy moments, beautiful nights, or whatever it was that gave them the strength to carry on.” (Mernissi, p.132) In sum, women who fight against or step out of their prescribed boundaries are met with misery, and they will spend the rest of their lives fighting to keep their freedom. Furthermore, “the frontier protected cultural identity, and if Arab women started imitating European ones by dressing provocatively…there would only be one culture left.” (Mernissi, p.180) By adopting European style clothing, women are demonstrating their modernity and their beliefs in gender equality at the expense of their predestined “cultural identity.” As a result of these consequences, many women choose to live within their frontiers.
One main factor that governs whether the characters within the novels are able to step outside their boundaries and defy stereotypes is whether the woman is westernized or traditional. A westernized woman is one who is educated and has money, and a traditional woman is one who is brought up with traditional values and is often uneducated. Westernization, as demonstrated in Pillars of Salt, can only exist when the character has been in contact with western forces, such as the English, or they live in the city. When comparing the four books, we see that the characters in both A Woman of Five Seasons and In the Eye of the Sun are examples of westernized women and they are successful in breaking down the barriers and stereotypes. In contrast, the women from Pillars of Salt and Dreams of Trespass, which represent the traditional woman, are unable to.
In Pillars of Salt, Maha began as a strong character, but as the story continued she eventually weakened, and the storyteller even described her as “A charming woman who challenged and surrendered.” (Faqir, p.2) In order to explore the causes that might have led to Maha’s downfall, it is necessary to examine the factors that made Maha a strong woman. Firstly, Maha is a Bedouin woman, and is known to be “free like a swallow and as courageous as [her] grandmother Sabha.” (Faqir, p.14) These women tend to think with their heart rather than their heads. Additionally, unlike most women Maha was raised by her father, and as a result, she learned how to use a gun and to take care of the farm. This demonstrates Maha capability in protecting herself, and in a way, she has power because owns and runs the farm. Both of these factors already transgress the stereotypes of women being weak and controlled. Another factor that gave Maha strength was having a supportive husband who loved her. Unlike most husbands, Harb did not try to control Maha, and when she was unable to get pregnant, he did not condemn her. After Harb’s death, Mubarak replaced him and became Maha’s strength. Maha did everything to bring her son into a world with happiness instead of despair, and “she would protect him even if she had to fight the angel of death himself” (Faqir, p.152). Even when Daffash beat Maha for embarrassing him, Mubarak’s screams kept her alive and standing. However, beginning with the death of her father, Maha’s strengths were slowly taken away from her. In Maha’s attempt to escape from her forced marriage to another man, she left the farm and Mubarak with his grandmother, and fled to the mountains. By doing so, Maha lost the only reason keeping her alive and the land that gave her power. From being a strong woman, Maha became a woman who was only waiting and hoping for “Allah [to] pity [her] and take [her] to [her] father and Harb” (Faqir, p.131). Although, Maha might have been a woman who showed strength, she was struggling inside with the “humiliation, anger, and sheer helplessness” (Faqir, p.173) she felt when she could not protect herself and those she loved. Maha’s ultimate defeat are the traditions and the religion which govern her town. Men were generally seen as having greater importance and this is further reinforced by Allah, who placed men in a higher place than women. In addition, Maha was also indirectly crushed by modernity. The English had a negative impact on Daffash, he had become a slave to them because of the power they could give him, and as a result he turned his back to his family and ‘killed’ his sister. The story of Maha not only proves the theory that a traditional woman cannot overcome frontiers but it also provides evidence that women who are strong and who challenge boundaries result in unfavorable outcomes.
Dreams of Trespass is set during a time of change and advancement, Fatima is only a child but she is living in a traditional world while being brought up with more modern ideas. Fatima is a perfect example in investigating the differences between modern and tradition. “Childhood is when the difference does not matter” but after the boys and girls are separated in the hammam, girls “won’t be able to escape it. [They’ll] be ruled by the difference. The world is going to turn ruthless” (Mernissi, p.242). Since Fatima is still a child, her position in society is still gender neutral. However through her eyes we see where the women characters’ strength in the novels appear. All the female characters in the story are strong, but their strengths differ depending on whether they are from the city or if they are living on the farm. “There were really no limits to what women could do on the farm. They could grow unusual plants, ride horses, and move freely about, or so it seemed. In comparison, our harem in Fez was like a prison” (Mernissi, p.55). Although the women on the farm were still placed in a ‘harem,’ they were allowed to run free because there weren’t any strangers to threaten the family’s honor. Even within the harem women had some power: “So you could be powerful, and still be the prisoner of a frontier” (Mernissi, p.23). Given that harems were separated by hierarchies, the first wives automatically had more power over the other wives. And those who are married have power over the women who are unmarried, divorced or widowed. An example of this would be how they divided up the house and the seating arrangement. Additionally, the widows dressed in less colorful attire to avoid attention and to get out of everyone’s way. Lalla Thor, being the first wife, was another great example of hierarchy because she did not need to participate in the daily chores. Apart from having power amongst the women, the wives had control over their husbands and knew how to manipulate them. When Yasmina named her duck after Lalla Thor, Lalla Thor went to their husband and “she threatened to leave him if the duck’s name was not changed at once.” (Mernissi, p.30) Additionally, Fatima’s father “loved his wife so much that he felt miserable about not giving in to her wishes and never stopped proposing compromises”(Mernissi, p.77). So, the women had some power in their relationship with their husbands. There is a woman inside the harem that defies all tradition and has power regardless of the existing boundaries. Tamou “was this woman, clad as a warrior, crossing the ‘Arbaoua frontier into the French Zone all by herself to look for help. And because she was a war heroine, certain rules did not apply to her. She even behaved as though she did not know about tradition” (Mernissi, p.51). She is also an example of a woman who can be “fighting, swearing, and ignoring tradition [and still] make a woman irresistible” (Mernissi, p.53). Tamou did not need to worry about the way she looked or how she acted in order to attract men. In contrast, Fatima’s mother did care about cosmetics, but she found her strength within her beauty products because it was the only thing she could control: If men are now going to rob me of the only things I still control—my own cosmetics—then they will be the ones who have power over my beauty. I will never allow such thing to happen. I create my own magic, and I am not relinquishing my henna” (Mernissi, p.233). In sum, women inside the harem were able to demonstrate strength and power even if they were confined to the courtyard. Compared with the harem in the city, the women on the farm were able to have more power and strength because they were given more freedom as a result of being in the middle of nowhere. In essence, those who lived in the city were confined by the conventions of society, whereas those on the farm were so distant from civilization they were not required to follow any rules.
Women in the city on the other hand, despite the power they may have over their husbands and some of the other women, they were still powerless in the sense that they were confined by the society outside of the harem’s walls and by the family traditions. Wealth did not matter inside a harem, even though Lalla Thor had some wealth in comparison to Yasmina, “she is still stuck in a harem, just like [Yasmina]” (Mernissi, p.34). This refutes the stereotype of women being materialistic and money hungry because it does not give them any power. Unlike the harem on the farm, the women here are not allowed to exit the gate unless they have gotten permission which is evident in both generations of daughter and mother. Chama would always try to run outside the gate but would be caught by the gate keeper, and when Fatima’s mother was younger she would have to ask permission multiple times before she was allowed to leave. Aunt Habiba would reassure Fatima about the future and how “a woman could be totally powerless, and still give meaning to her life by dreaming about flight” (Mernissi, p.154) Power to these women were only in their dreams, but she could still live her life happily and be free of her mental boundaries by believing in her own strength. In this sense, having power did not necessarily dictate whether a woman led a meaningful life. As times are changing, girls are now allowed to go to school and to get an education. Getting an education, as mentioned before, allows the mind to develop and for women to gain strength. However, Fatima’s mother who belongs in an older generation is not allowed to enter school because it is against the “family’s tradition.” Throughout the book, Fatima’s mother is seen as a woman who has modern ideas and views, but she is trapped within the traditions of the family. Fatima’s mother tells her that she will have the chance to become “a modern, educated lady. You will realize the nationalists’ dream. You will learn foreign languages, have a passport, devour books, and speak like a religious authority…”(Mernissi, p.64). Her mother also forcefully tells Fatima to change the rules of society so that she can make a difference in the world and to not be stuck in the same situation she is in. In a way, Fatima’s mother is a feminist who believes in the equality of men and women, and she is trying to encourage her daughter to think the same way and to not be controlled by others. The women inside Dreams of Trespass show how women can have strength within a confined space if they believe in themselves and if they don’t let anything influence their beliefs.
In A Woman of Five Seasons, Nadia’s character starts out weak and eventually becomes strong. However, we are shown earlier in the novel that Nadia has an inner self, “another person there inside [her], sexless, a person who feels and thinks and suffers, and makes me suffer.” (Al-Atrash, p.34). It is strong and is yearning to come out, but for various reasons, Nadia has kept it contained. One of these reasons is a result of her marriage to Ihsan. Nadia had wanted to get married and she “left everything [she] loved when the man came for [her], and [she] became his wife…” (Al-Atrash, p.40) And “In the ten years since [they] were married, [Nadia has] done what he wanted.” (Al-Atrash, p.41) In order for Nadia to have a successful marriage with Ihsan, it was necessary for her to make sacrifices and to comply with her husband’s wishes. She was taught by her ancestors to “do whatever he tells you, keep all his secrets, let him find only the purest fragrance in you” (Al-Atrash, p.33). By letting the husband find the ‘purest’ fragrance, the woman is essentially hiding or surrendering the qualities that her husband dislikes. Nadia does, however, show signs of regret and frustration when she recalls the things she gave up for Ihsan: “Why did I let him plan the first chapter of my life? Let him shroud the hazy marriage in great, broad dreams and bury them there, while I stood silently watching” (Al-Atrash, p.42). Nadia like many other women are tricked into believing the greatness of marriage, but many of them get trapped into a powerless situation. After Nadia got married, they tried to have a baby but Nadia was having difficulties. In order to prevent further badgering from others and Ihsan, Nadia tried hard to prove her womanhood. As a result, she did get pregnant but it prevented her from finishing her education. Ihsan stops Nadia from reading books because he believes that “the things in those books have taken [her] over... All these impetuous, cultured people and their rebellious ways!” (Al-Atrash, p.36). In other words, books and education are considered a source for women’s defiance against traditional gender roles. Nadia is a prime example of a woman who is powerless and controlled by her husband. Nadia is essentially Ihsan’s puppet; he dresses her, picks out her perfume, decides what she can and cannot read, and strategizes her role in his affairs.
The turning point in Nadia’s character is when Jalal tries to kiss her and she realizes that the men in her life will only see her as a sex object and a ‘woman’ rather than an intellectual sexless being that deserves respect. “The giant in [Nadia’s] depths was surging furiously out, with boundless strength- [her] inner being forked in [her] limbs, turned to a giant liberating itself from the corridors of fear and weakness” (Al-Atrash, p.107). Her inner self reacted to the men who are trying to control her and her desire for freedom. Nadia’s first step in becoming stronger is shown when she takes control over her sexuality and deprives Ihsan of sex and she repossesses herself. The second step she took was entering herself into a business school so that she can become financially independent and start up her own real estate company. As Nadia progresses into a stronger individual, Ihsan is baffled by the sudden change and questions her sanity. Nadia replies and says: “I was never as sane as I am now. I’ll have my own company. And the apartment you bought for me will be our first offer of sale” (Al-Atrash, p.114). This suggests that Nadia had once lost herself inside the boundaries which use to confine her, but she is finally realizing what she wants in life rather than what people want from her. In addition, the act of selling the apartment Ihsan bought for is symbolic towards Nadia gaining her financial independence. By setting up her own company Nadia is no longer weak, and has gained power and control, as well as breaking both mental and physical barriers that once constrained her. However, this did come at the expense of her own marriage. Nadia had been busy taking control over her own life she had ignored the needs of Ihsan. As a result, he sought attention from another woman and eventually began an affair. The extent to Nadia’s power is shown when she “had to buy [Rashid’s] silence. Not for your sake, Ihsan, but to preserve my dignity and your image in front of the children.”(Al-Altrash, p.166) She was in control of a situation which Ihsan could not handle, and she was also able to pay several million dollars. Nadia’s story is an example of how women are capable of crossing frontiers if they are educated and, mentally and financially independent. It also shows how women do have to face the unfriendly consequences, but this does not mean that they are unsuccessful or unhappy.
In the novel In the Eye of the Sun, the main character, Asya, flirts between being strong and weak. Similar to Nadia, they live in a relatively more modern and developed society. However, Asya is perhaps the only one out of the other three characters who is brought up with more westernized ideas. Asya had always been an intelligent woman, and was well educated. She also comes from a fairly wealthy family, giving her the opportunity to do her Ph.D in England on linguistics and poetry. Asya places more emphasis on her career and her work than building a family. Asya was in love with Saif, and her impulsive and anxiousness made Asya marry Saif before she started her Ph.D. “The only argument I have now is emotional: that we are in love and want to be together and why spend another three years being apart and skipping around avoiding detection and being home by seven-thirty and all that nerve-racking stuff when we could be together now?” (Soueif, p.146) Here we see Asya’s relationship with both her parents and how she is able to talk to them freely, without paying attention to the tradition of respecting elders. In fact, Asya’s parents encourage her to voice her opinions when she started studying for her college entrance exam. Although Asya’s parents are relatively westernized, they still grew up with the traditions of the Arab culture and therefore there are other factors which are imposed on Asya; despite Asya’s freedom of speech, she is still bound by some of the Arab traditions such as honor and time. Also demonstrated in Pillars of Salt as well as Chrissie, women were not allowed to walk alone with men unless they were married because it is seen as a threat to the family’s honor. So, Asya needed to avoid detection due to societal pressures and to preserve the reputation of her family. In addition, Asya is required to return home at a certain time before it gets too dark outside because she is a woman and because woman are supposedly ‘weak’ and are unable to protect themselves. Furthermore, Asya is similar to the traditional women because she also wanted to get married and settle down. However, at the same time Asya contradicts the idea of marriage and family. Asya wants marriage but she does not want to have a child because she is concerned with her appearance and does not wish to gain weight from pregnancy. Yet, as time moves on, Asya “has come to think more about the baby and less about what the baby would do to her” (Soueif, p.264). When Asya loses the baby she is not only faced with the judgment of others, but also Saif, who originally did not want a child. Even though Asya lives in more modern world, tradition still creeps back in and slaps her in the face.
As Asya tries to balance between work and love, she finds herself unable to handle the pressure from a long distance relationship with Saif, and finds comfort in fantasizing about other men. As a result of the distance between her and her husband, Asya begins to have a relationship with Gerald. The act of having an affair is already quite forward thinking in the sense that, if men can do it, women should also be allowed. While Asya is trying to figure out what life consists of, she comes up with two things: love and work. Under love she writes “‘Married Love’ then crosses it out because it looks so coy. She draws a rectangle round it and blacks it in. ‘Sex’, then- but that’s not it-or not only it. She writes down ‘Romance’. But surely the two shouldn’t be separate like that…” (Soueif, p.455). In Asya’s opinion, ‘Romance’ and ‘Sex’ do not go hand in hand. Simply put, someone does not have to be in love or in a relationship to have and enjoy sex. This is exemplified in Asya’s relationship with Gerald, in which we find out that Asya is only physically attracted to Gerald and sees him as her sex object. Since Saif would not sleep with her and he was rarely present, Asya used Gerald for both sex and company. In addition, Asya feels as though she relies upon Saif financially and emotionally, and as a way to break free from her dependence Asya decides to move out of the home which Saif pays for and to tell Saif the truth about her affair. Asya also breaks free from the control of Gerald and when her actions are question she replies “I am being myself…And I’m enjoying myself. I don’t know what you want.” (Soueif, p.721) Asya is gaining control over her own self and is no longer following the demands and the needs of other people. Asya is an example of a woman who is modern, but still follows certain aspects of tradition, which are usually influenced by her parents. Asya is not confined by a lot of physical frontiers because a lot of her life is set in London, where the rules and culture of the society is different. However, Asya has broken free the financial strings and love that had tied her down. Though she is alone, Asya finds strength within her solitude and this is demonstrated in her journey to Akhmeem where she finds a figure that might be of an Egyptian princess:
“But this woman who had in some way belonged to him, and who now lies here in the sand- she has indeed found a gentle grave; for here she is, delivered back into the sunlight still in complete possession of herself-of her pride, and of her small, subtle smile.” (Soueif, p.785)
Asya was similar to her in the sense that she had once belonged to someone she loved. Asya’s ‘gentle grave’ is her home in Egypt, where she now teaches back in her old university. And the part about being ‘delivered back into the sunlight’ relates to her returning to her own self and single-hood. As independent as Asya may be, she is similar to Asmahan who tried to balance work and love together, and by exploring and displaying their strengths, both of their love lives resulted in a divorce.
After exploring the individual characters and how they interact with the stereotypes and societal expectations, and the boundaries, it is necessary to compare the characters against each other in order to narrow down the specific factors that give them independence, strength and power. The characters differ across several things and these differences are what allowed some women to break free from traditions and some to stay within their confines. Differences mainly involve the cultural and societal expectations that govern each town, and under these there are several subcategories such as, education, wealth, parental influence and modernity vs. tradition. As well as, the way religion is interpreted. In the case of Nadia and Asya, they were both successful in gaining their independence from men and transcending their restraints. One of the main reasons is due to the fact that they were both in a foreign country where Arab culture is not practice and reinforced by society. Nadia and Asya were both modern women, but they were semi-influenced by traditional values such as the responsibilities they have toward their husband. These traditional values were only seen when they were in an Arab country, but when they were in England, these values were relatively muted and often ignored. As Nadia describes her experience abroad and why she likes it, she talks about how “it gives you a chance to choose, to pick out the friends you want. When you’re in a foreign society, nobody’s forced on you” (Al-Atrash, p.72). Being in a foreign society gives you the chance to bend the rules because you are not forced to abide by them, and nobody knows you. In addition, England was a modern society which practiced gender equality, so the women were able to get educated and find jobs. In this sense, Nadia and Asya were given the freedom to do what they wanted and they did not have to worry about what others thought. As a result of their freedom and their growing strength, Nadia and Asya were both able to break free from the men’s control and regain a sense of self. However, this was done at the expense of their marriage and ultimately it ended in either divorce or the husband has an affair. Unlike the other two characters, Nadia and Asya were also relatively wealthy which also allowed them to travel abroad, and even without the support of their husbands they were capable of financially supporting themselves.
In comparison, Maha is in a society that is least modernized and one that strictly follows religion and tradition. She never really crossed the boundaries but she gained strength through her husband and her son, but when they were both taken away, she gave up. Unlike the women in Dreams of Trespass, Maha gave up her beliefs and thus she was unable to stay strong within her ‘mud walls.’ In Dreams of Trespass, the women were able to feel power within the harem and experienced strength within themselves. Even though, they were able to break free from their mental barrier, they were never able to leave their physical boundaries. However, these women show that they can still be positive and live a meaningful life through their dreams and theatre plays. At least they are able to pass down knowledge to the younger ones. Another difference between Maha and the women of Dreams of Trespass is how women are interpreted and represented within religion. In Maha’s town, Allah placed boys on a pedestal, giving the men power over the women. In contrast, the women of Dreams of Trespass show how Allah created men and women equally: “Are we Muslims or not? If we are, everyone is equal. Allah said so. His prophet preached the same” (Mernissi, p.26).
In conclusion, the women in the novels demonstrate the restrictions and stereotypes that bind Arab women to their assigned gender role, which places them in a lower position in society. These restrictions, discussed above, include religion, traditions and cultural practices. In other words, women are controlled by the practices of the society that they are in. These will be hard to change because it is backed by religion and is passed down through generations. Women are able to fully cross boundaries and stereotypes of Arab culture if they are immersed in a foreign country or practice western ideals. Those who practice western ideas are more likely to be educated and be feminists and so they are able to gain power through jobs and positions in society. However, only women from the city or who are wealthy are able to experience modernity and westernization. Additionally, as demonstrated by both Nadia and Asya, stepping over boundaries have consequences, but these are not necessarily ‘sorrow and unhappiness’. In fact, both women are happy to be in their own skin and to possess themselves. The women of Dreams of Trespass also show how women are not necessarily unhappy within their harems, and that some are able to cross mental frontiers but not physical boundaries. There are also the anomalies who do not exist within boundaries or are not expected to follow traditions. Tamou and Najwa Thabit are both examples of women who are respected within society and demonstrate tremendous power as leaders. Although we are unaware of whether these women are able to balance love and work, or whether they face any consequences, they ended up getting married. All the women within the novels who came from different cultures and backgrounds still ended up in marriages or have, at some point or another, been controlled or demonstrated traditional Arab culture. This shows how women roles transcends across differences and still effects each individual woman. In essence, regardless of their strength or power, women will forever be trapped inside their gender roles within Arab society because their gender roles have been rooted so deep within tradition, that even Allah talks about the distinctions between men and women.