41 shoes. Thus, it can be imagined how the lower classes of Egypt life. From the
discussion above it then can be assumed that the Egyptian lower classes cannot afford for having an education, taking care of their health, having enough food, and
even wearing a proper dress. Those are the description of Egyptian society in the twentieth century as reflected in the novel Woman at Point Zero. It is clearly
described how the society condition at that time which is reflected in the novel.
4.2 Societys Treatments toward Women as Portrayed by the Character of Firdaus in the Novel
The novel
Woman at Point Zero gives the description of society treatments
toward women in Egypt in the twentieth century. Through the novel, we will have a brief view on the society treatments toward women in Egypt in the twentieth
century. Firdaus, as an Egyptian woman, experiences such treatments. Her
experiences are analyzed as the following:
4.2.1 As a Daughter
From the previous analysis it is known that the Egyptian society in the twentieth century is a patriarchal society. Patriarchy society means the society
which is ruled by men. Kelly mentions that in a patriarchy system, father always dominate the family 59. Due to the fathers domination in a family, a father is the
most important figure who takes control of everything in a family. No matter how rich or poor they are, the fathers will always be the head of the family, by which
wives are asked to serve and satisfy all of their needs at the most priority rather than the other. Firdaus mother is a woman who puts her husband before her
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42 children. She often sacrifices her children to fulfill her husbands needs.
My father never went to bed without supper, no matter what happened. Sometimes when there was no food at home we would all go to bed with
empty stomachs. But he would never fail to have a meal. My mother would hide his food from us at the bottom of one of the holes in the oven El-
Saadawi 18.
This text tells the superiority of a father in Firdaus family. Although there is no food at home, Firdaus mother only serves the food for her father. She does not care
whether her children are hungry or not. She even hides the food at the bottom of one of the holes in the oven so that her children will not find it. While her father is
eating, Firdaus can only watch him. She does not dare to ask his father to give the food to her. Once she tries to do it, her father becomes very angry and strikes her a
sharp blow over the back of her finger El-Saadawi 19. In a patriarchal society, men are superior while women are inferior. The
superiority of men results the different treatment between them. In Firdaus family, a son is more valuable rather than a daughter. This is shown from Firdaus
statement: When one of his female children dead, my father would eat his supper, my
mother would wash his legs, and then he would go to sleep, just as he did every night. When the child was died was a boy, he would beat my mother,
then have a supper, and lie down to sleep El-Saadawi 18. This shows the different treatment toward son and daughter. For Firdaus father, son
is more valuable rather than a daughter. Losing a son means losing something worthy while losing a daughter means nothing for him.
A father is not only the king whose needs have to be fulfilled at the first place, but also receiving the love and attentions of his wife. A wife is asked to give
all of her love and attention for her husband though she may abandon her childrens
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43 need of love and attention from her. Firdaus is used to be abandoned by her mother.
On a cold night in a winter, Firdaus father is used to sleep comfortably in the warmest spot in his house while Firdaus is asked to sleep in the coldest place only
with a straw mat. Although she knows that Firdaus is freezing, Firdaus mother will sleep with her husband to keep him warm instead of sleeping beside Firdaus El-
Saadawi 17. This proves her mother abandoning of Firdaus. Egyptian girls are also subjected to female circumcision which is often
called as a female genital mutilation. According to UNICEF, the female genital mutilation is the tradition of removing of the female genital organs of girls between
4 and 14 years old. Firdaus, also experiences a female genital mutilation. One day, her mother brings a woman who cuts off a piece of flesh between Firdaus thighs
with a small knife El-Saadawi 13. The girls cannot refuse to be circumcised. All they can do is only crying because of the pain, as what Firdaus experiences in the
novel. Firdaus can only cry all night after she experiences a female genital mutilation El-Saadawi 13.
In her childhood, Firdaus also experiences sexual abuse without realizing it. The first is done by her friend namely Mohammadain. Firdaus thinks that what
Mohammadain does is a part of bride and bridegroom game whereas it is a sexual abuse El-Saadawi 4. The second is done by her uncle.
My galabeya often slipped up my thighs, but I paid no attention until the moment when I would glimpse my uncles 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 cautions, stealthy, trembling movement..., his
hand would continue to press against my thigh with grasping almost brutal insistence El-Saadawi 15.
It shows the sexual abuse which is done by her uncle to Firdaus. This is a tragedy
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44 which is not supposed to be happened between uncle and his nephew happens two
times El-Saadawi 22. Patriarchal society places women as a second class while men are the first
in a society. Mens domination exists apparently in the political, economic, or educational system Pendergast and McGregor 3. Therefore, the educational
system is only served for males and it shows the domination of men over women. This condition really happens in Firdaus society. In this society, women are not
allowed to get a high education as men do. The higher education is only for males, not for females. This condition is against the Egyptians government commitment
on 1952 of education for the general population. In her childhood, Firdaus wants to go to El-Azhar and studies like her uncle.
Unfortunately, through her uncle she knows that the high education is only deserved for men El-Saadawi 16. A woman like her has no chance to get a higher
education such a man. This shows that men and women are not treated equally, and that men are praised more than women. They are prepared to get a better life while
women are nothing and do not deserve to get and to do anything unless to serve their husband well. University is a place, only for men. Women are not allowed to
sit and study together with men in the university. Firdaus uncle assumes himself as a respectable man with a good understanding of religion. A respectable man like
him must know that women do not deserve to be put in the same level as a man. Therefore sending Firdaus to the university is something embarrassing for him to
do El-Saadawi 36. As stated before, in a patriarchal system the bridegroom gives a dowry to
the brides parents. Because of this dowry system, most Egyptian parents take a
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45 profit from their daughter by exchanging their daughter for a dowry as soon as they
may. In the novel, after the death of her parents Firdaus lives with her uncle and aunt. Firdaus aunt considers Firdaus as a useless thing which inherits nothing for
her. Therefore she plans to make Firdaus marry Sheikh Mahmoud. Firdaus aunt does not care if Firdaus wants to marry him or not. The most important thing for
her is the dowry that Sheikh Mahmoud may give to her as the exchange of Firdaus. This proves that in a Firdaus society, parents only value daughter as a thing to be
exchanged into a certain amount of dowry for them and that daughter has no freedom to choose her husband. Their marriage depends on the dowry the husband
can give and the parents decision upon them. “Why should Firdaus refuse him. This is her best chance to get married.
Dont forget what a nose she has. Its big and ugly like a tin mug. Besides, she has inherited nothing, and has no income of her own. We will never find
a better husband for her than Syeikh Mahmoud.”
“Do you think Syeikh Mahmoud will welcome the idea?” “If I Firdaus aunt speak to him I am sure he will agree. I intend to ask him
for a big dowry.” “How
much?” “A hundred pounds, or perhaps even two hundreds if he has the money.”
El-Saadawi 37. Most of Egyptian girls get married in a very young age. Lane states that
most of Egyptian girls marry at the age of twelve or thirteen years or even ten years old 161. The early marriage age for girls in Egypt is also stated in the novel.
However, Firdaus gets married before she is nineteen years old El-Saadawi 43. Though Firdaus does not get married in her young age, most girls in Egypt have
already got married before her age. It can be seen from her aunt statement that says a girl of Firdaus age is supposed to marry and deliver children years ago El-
Saadawi 36.
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46
4.2.2 As a Wife
