I Am Nujood, Age 10 And Divorced Analysis

1. In the book “I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced”, written by Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui, honor is very important to the men of Nujood’s family. The Western idea of honor is based on an individual’s action. An individual's actions are what people judge the individual on. On the other hand, the notion of honor in rural Yemeni culture is based on what people think is right and what families would think of your families. The men in Nujood’s family were expected to be obeyed by each of the women. When Nujood was nine-years-old, her father Ali Mohammad Al-Adhal decided it was time for her to get married. “I’ve made my decision. Besides, you know we haven’t enough money to feed the whole family. So this will mean one less mouth”, announced

After meeting with Shada for the first time, Nujood became the face of the news.”We need to do everything we can to get Nujood out of the clutches of her husband. We must alert the press, the women’s group…” Shada explained to someone on the phone (79). Nujood was the youngest woman to be granted a divorce by a judge. After being granted a divorce, one of Nujood’s uncle yelled to Shada “You’ve sullied the reputation of our family! You have stained our honor!” (119). Even though she was abused constantly in her marriage, the men in her family believed she was wrong for asking for a divorce. When Nujood, Shada, and their allies attend court to seek a divorce for Nujood, they are defending the conception of honor of human rights and honor for women. Nujood explains a tribal proverb claims, “to guarantee a happy marriage, marry a nine-year-old girl” (172). In the Western’s views, a happy and successful marriage is when two individuals love each other. To have a happy marriage, a couple should agree on things, discuss things, work together, and trust each other. However, in Yemeni culture, the husband is the boss of the women. This culture believes if you marry a nine-year-old girl, the man is guaranteed to have power over