her to take her in the police station because she is a prostitute. He says that it is his duty to arrest a prostitute. However, if she goes with him to his house, he will not
take her in the police station. He said, „I‟ll pay you. Don‟t think I want to have you for nothing.
… „Don‟t play games with me, and don‟t try to haggle with me either, or I‟ll
take you off to the police station‟. …
„You‟re a prostitute, and it‟s my duty to arrest you, and others of your kind‟ pp. 66-67.
She does not have a power to refuse. After that, they go from the place they are standing. It adds her revenge to men. They are selfish. They only think about
themselves, about how to fulfill their sexual desire and get a lot of money. Firdaus meets the kind man whose purpose is to have sex with her.
Unfortunately, this man is a police officer whose job is to protect and save people. Moreover, he makes use of his job as a police officer to abuse her. He does even
threat her. After he gets what he wants that is to have a sex with her, he chases her away from his house. Therefore, it strengthens her perception of men that all of
them are the same. The government, father, uncle, and even a police officer cannot treat women politely. They do abuses and make use of their authority to
control many things including women.
4.2.1.8 Marzouk
Marzouk is a pimp. Since the beginning of his coming, he is shown as a bad man. He forces Firdaus to accept him as her pimp. She also has to pay. He
comes twice to Firdaus to ask for her money. He says that a prostitute needs protection from police officers. After that, she gives him money and then he goes
away. Another time, he comes to her again. He asks for money but this time she does not want to give it to him. She refuses him. She rejects him, but he keeps
forcing her. Thus, they do quarrel. They start to hit each other. He takes a knife and she is able to grab it from his hand. She kills him with his knife.
I caught hold of the latch of the door to open it, but he lifted his arms up in the air and slapped me. I raised my hand even higher than he had done,
and brought it down violently on his face. The whites of his eyes went red. His hand started to reach for the knife he carried in his pocket, but my
hand was quicker than his. I raised the knife and buried it deep in his neck, pulled it out of his neck and then thrust it deep into his chest, pulled it out
of his chest and plunged it deep into his belly. I stuck the knife into almost every part of his body p. 104.
After that, she feels so free, a thing that she has never had before. Firdaus, then, is arrested and sent to a prison. She is sentenced to death. However, she does not ask
for the freedom. She chooses to die rather than live under men‟s authority.
4.2.2 Men in Firdaus’ Eyes
Firdaus has many experiences with men. Those experiences create a different perception which influence her act and way of thinking. There are some
ideas about men which Firdaus has in her mind. They are as follows.
4.2.2.1 Abusers
During her life, many people hit Firdaus. Unfortunately, people who hit her are those who live close to her. Sheikh Mahmmoud, her hideous husband,
often slaps and hits her. He does not think how strong she is. Every time he thinks that his wife makes mistakes, he will jump and hit her directly. He does not even
consider that she is his wife. Additionally, he is quite stingy. If he sees her throw something away or use something more than usual, he will be very angry.
