EMPOWERING WOMEN IN NAWAL SAADAWI’s WOMAN AT POINT ZERO (1975)

Abstract

Woman at Point Zero, by Nawal El Saadawi, is a remarkable portrayal of Egyptian women's struggle against patriarchy and colonialism. Firdaus is the protagonist of the novella, a woman attempting to make a life in a culture where women have little options. Throughout the narrative, Firdaus fights not just to be in charge of her own destiny, but also to discover who she is and how to reach liberation. Thus, this dissertation aims to show how women are oppressed and subjugated in Egyptian’s male-dominated society, as well as it highlights every possible road a woman can take to reach power, freedom, and self-reliance from the perspective of Nawal El-Saadawi. There are two chapters in this dissertation; the first chapter provides a theoretical framework and socio-historical context. While, the second chapter, includes an analysis of the theme of empowering women, through the lens of postcolonial feminism, starting with a part one that examines an Egyptian woman struggles, to the second part analyzing the possible factors that may empower the Egyptian woman.