Dreams Of Trespass Analysis

Egyptian women could take part in business activities (Watterson 1991:25), in contrast to Roman women, who had a very limited role in public life, and could not attend, speak in, or vote at political assemblies, nor could they hold any position of political responsibility (Clarke 1981:206-207). Roman women were meant to stay within the confines of the house but were permitted to attend market and visit their

Moving ahead into the great civilization of Ancient Egypt, women and men had typical gender roles. Women were still seen as child bearers and domestic housekeepers and men taught their sons and became heavily involved in civic affairs (“Ancient Egypt”). The treatment of men and women was essentially equal in that woman did maintain civil rights, were given their own tombs upon death, and were even permitted to leave their husbands if necessary (“Ancient Egypt”). This was mainly because all property was passed from generation to generation through women- not men- giving them higher status and importance since Egyptians saw their land as sacred.

The “Instruction” literature of Old Kingdom Egypt served as a means to educate and guide its audience in an artistic manner. These texts were highly regarded by ancient Egyptians, as some of their greatest writers wrote instruction literature. Most of these texts were also administrative, and therefore intended to be read by a large audience. The contents of these texts included themes of personal morality, personal behavior, social norms, strategic behavior, and general advice about life. As a patriarchal society, the ancient Egyptian authors were not as concerned with instructions for women, but rather, how men should treat women. Today’s American culture has granted women many more liberties; however, cultural norms still deem the man

Stelae “represent some of the only evidence available to us regarding popular religion in ancient Egypt. They define the personal religious preferences of common Egyptians, and thus the vast majority of the Egyptian population” (Wilbour, Thenet). As we learned this semester religion is highly influential in cultures around the world and help develop laws as well as, what is considered right and wrong. Therefore if we know the important religious figures at the time we can better understand the culture at the

A classic example of the radical transformation of Egyptian state religion is found on the

One of the central values of ancient Egyptian civilization, revolves around the concept of harmony and balance in all aspects of one's life. This ideal equality was the most important responsibility observed by the pharaoh who, as a mediator between the gods and the people, was supposed to be a role model and set by an example for how one achieving a balanced life, as all people sharing a common relationship with pharaoh. Through this relationship all men and women acquired equality to one another. Therefore, not to the world's surprise, women in ancient Egypt, compared to other civilizations, were ahead of their time. Women in ancient Egypt did not only rule the country and become pharaohs, but also shared equal basic human rights as men. Women such as Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra were able to take the stand and break the stigma of the typical minority that are deprived of many rights, and most importantly legal, and educational rights.

The Romance of resistance is an article which is written by Lila Abu-Lughod in regard with the different forms of resistance among the Bedouin women and the traditional structure of power among the Bedouin Community in the Egypt's Western Desert. She arrived in late 1970 to begin a fieldwork, and she discovered different forms of resistance among the Bedouin women. In this Article she emphasis on how the Bedouin women resisted the decision of their fathers, uncles, and older brother, how the resisted the sexually segregation, and sexually irreverent discourse. Furthermore, it also talk about how local communities are being incorporated into modern states and integrated into a wider economy.

This paper explores the religion, history, and food culture of Egypt. It discusses the geographic setting and environment that affects the food availability and water supply for the Muslims. The distinct eating and dietary habits are explained and how they have evolved into modern society. Also, Egypt’s national food is listed along with the history behind it. Lastly, the paper explores the different holiday and religious celebrations that Muslims celebrate and what foods are consumed during each feast.

Jan Assmann, the famous Egyptologist, covers the essence of researching Egyptian theology in his classic work Theologie und Frömmigkeit einer frühen Hochkultur. Translated to English under the title “The search for God in Ancient Egypt”, the book tackles the complex goal of investigating Egyptian Theology and offers Assman’s scholarly theories on Egyptology. With that said, the focus of the book shifts away from the study of Egyptian deities and mythology but centers rather around the implication of divinity at a societal and individual level. Overviews of theology and piety take precedence over the specific practices and technical beliefs of Egyptian religion, though the latter is also heavily discussed to better elaborate on the former’s context.

How does religion affect people’s everyday lives when living under Islamic rule? In Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel, Persepolis, she discusses living in Iran after the Shah’s exile and when the new Islamic regime is implemented. Religion, primarily Islam, plays a significant role in the novel, and not only affects how people perform their religious acts, but also how they behave publicly. Religion has forced changes upon characters in the book and has made their interactions with each other mostly centered around their beliefs. Throughout the book, there is ample evidence of how religion has defined characters. Specific evidence is depicted through Satrapi’s growing rebellion, Marji, and her family feeling pressured to lie to the police and people around them, and citizens beginning to give up on religion and everything they believed in prior to the revolution.

One of the main disputes in the battle of Islamic women’s rights is the conflict over dress. According to a popular Islamic leader and Egyptian television personality, the sight of women is so alluring that it can be “intolerably distracting to men” and can “even

Dreams of Trespass tells the story of Fatima, a young, curious girl growing up in a Muslim harem in Morocco during the 1940s. The book illustrates how Islam and its religion affect her childhood as she and her mother question the unequal treatment between genders. The traditional beliefs of Islam were the driving force that shaped the culture, society, and politics of Morocco for Fatima and many other women, who also struggle to find more freedom outside of the harem, as well as the mental and physical frontiers featured in the book.

Both novels, Dreams of Trespass and In the Eye of the Sun deal with barriers. In the first one the barrier is a physical one, one that does not allow the women to cross it. While it creates incredible sense of solidarity among the women and a safety net, it also creates despair and a cause to fight for most of the mothers of the Mernissi household. In the second novel, In the Eye of the Sun we also see barriers, but this time they are invisible, more subtle, but equally damaging. Asya’s barrier is of communication at two levels, sexually and emotionally. She is not able to trespass the sexual barrier with her husband and is not able to trespass the communication barrier with neither her

The occupation and abuse of national and female bodies causes them to be portrayed as fragmented in literature dealing with colonial themes. With the infitah opening Egypt’s doors to the world, elements of the modern flooded in and the nation become a conglomeration of old and new, tradition and modern (Shechter 572). Conflicting views between how to incorporate modern and tradition into Egyptian culture impacted all levels of the nation. Elements of the modern and the tradition were split and emphasized differently to different groups. As a figure thought to be representative of the purity of the nation, tradition is emphasized for the female body in order to maintain the identity of the nation despite economic change (Sadaawi “Hidden Face” 31). While the man is allowed to enter the world of money and exchange promised by capitalism, it is the female who must remain unaffected as a symbol of the nation’s purity in contrast to the Western nations. She is still suppressed by cultural ideas that restrict and criminalize her body. Her virginity is not only a symbol of honor for her family, but also for her nation. While Egypt desired economic power and adapted western economic policies, they wished to keep their cultural and social traditions and further oppress the female as a symbol of sanctity. The contradicting background and situation the female finds herself in leads to individual fragmentation. There is a divide created between love, sex, and pleasure. Stringent

The novel often talks about the setting, time and theme in Egyptian culture through stories of various characters. The culture describes in the novel restricts the readers’ views on