Sarah Damato
Professor Spies
IB English SL
22 December 2017
The Significance of Power and Control in Woman at Point Zero Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero is a story about a young Egyptian female named Firdaus that is awaiting death row in a Cairo prison. Most of the story is told from Firdaus’ point of view explaining the tremendous amount of discrimination and abuse she had faced throughout her life from a society that victimizes women. We eventually realize that Firdaus is a victim of cruel and unjust treatment from every man she encounters in the novel.
From the early days of Firdaus’ life, readers see how she was abused both sexually and physically. The abuse she encounters symbolize the control men had on her as she grew up in an Islamic society. However, Firdaus is able to adapt to such inhumanities and quickly learns from them, resulting in her ironic freedom of men’s dominance. One of the first incidences of a man controlling Firdaus is done through her father. After begging her father for a piece of the only food the poor family had, she was beat and starved until the family was able to obtain food. Soon after when Firdaus’ uncle visits her and her family, he physically takes advantage of Firdaus and begins to molest her. Firdaus begins to accept the abuse and fails to understand that it is wrong for her to be treated so poorly. However, as she matures and grows older, she begins to take charge and action so that she is able to secure her safety. Then