feminist perspective is an effort to understand women’s position and role as reflected in literary work. Sugihastuti and Suharto, 2002:15.The discussion
that convey the idea of feminism are done through the supporter character, in this case they are all men. In Woman at Point Zero the supporter
character are Mohammadain, Uncle, Syekh Mahmoud, Bayoumi, Ibrahim, and Marzouk. While in Madame Bovary the supporter characters are
Rodolphe, and Leon. In this case Firdaus and Emma is being oppressed by them.
1.Revealing the Contrast between Firdaus and Emma through Abuses They Receive
a. Abuses Toward Firdaus i. Uncle
After her parents died, Firdaus is in the care of her uncle. He takes Firdaus to Cairo. Her uncle is not young. He is much older than she is. He
studies at El-Azhar. He is not a good uncle for Firdaus. There are so many bad treatments which he does toward her, like sexual abuse.
My galabeya often slipped up my thighs, but I paid no attention until the moment when I glimpse my uncle’s hand moving slowly from
behind the book he was reading to touch my leg.The next moment I could feel it travelling up my thigh with a cautious, stealthy,
trembling movement. Every time there was the sound of a footstep at the entrance to our house, his hand would withdraw quickly.
Saadawi, 1983:13
Her uncle does this action not only once, but many times. It happens several times because no one knows this thing. He starts doing abuse toward
Firdaus when she still in very young age. He is doing what he shouldn’t do toward his niece.
I was trembling all over, seized with a feeling I could not explain, that my uncle’s great long fingers would draw close to me after a
little while, and cautiously lift the eiderdown under which I lay. Then his lips would touch my face and press down on my mouth,
and his trembling fingers would feel their way slowly upwards over my thighs. Saadawi, 1983:21
Not only that, but he also agrees with his wife’s idea to marry her
with Syekh Mahmoud although she still very young. She should marry with the man, who is too old for her. Her uncle does not care about what Firdaus
feeling toward Syekh Mahmoud whether she loves him or not. Saadawi, 1983: 38-39.
ii. Syekh Mahmoud
Syekh Mahmoud is Firdaus’s husband. He is already over sixty whereas Firdaus has not yet turned nineteen. She accepts this marriage
because of her uncle’s order not because her love. In Firdaus’s marriage she is not happy at all. Everyting about Syekh Mahmoud disgusts her.
On his chin, below the lip, was a large swelling, with a hole in the middle. Some days the hole would be dry up, but on others it would
turn into a rusty old tap exuding drops red in colour like blood, or withish yellow, like pus. Saadawi, 1983:45
“When his arms and legs let go of me, I would gently slip my body out from under him, and go on tiptoe to the bathroom. There I would
carefully wash my face and lips, my arms and thighs, and every part of my body, taking care not to miss a single inch, going over it
several times with soap and water.”Saadawi, 1983:46
Not only that, Firdaus also accepts bad treatment from his husband. Syekh Mahmoud gets into the habbit of beating her whether he has a reason
for it or not. Firdaus marriage is like a disaster for her. On one occasion he
