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The Innocence of the Devil by Nawal El Saadawi

Decent Essays

In this novel, the reader (including myself) should have sympathy for Ganat and Narguiss. I felt horrible for both of these characters in the novel. Ganat was the proud and defiant woman who was physically attractive. Narguiss was the head nurse in the asylum who was Ganat’s best friend. I had sympathy for Ganat and Narguiss because of what they had to go through in the novel. Ganat was accused for being born with her eyes wide open, not wearing a veil and supporting Satan. The judge that tried her was an oppressive man and sent her to an asylum for treatment. I thought it was injustice that Ganat had no say in what was accused of her. Having wide-open eyes when born was in no way Ganat’s fault yet she was punished for it, simply unbelievable! I understand that in the Islamic culture, a women needs to keep their head down but what does a new born infant know about culture/religion? I can actually relate to Ganat’s predicament she had about being born with her eyes wide open. My family friend gave birth to a baby girl who was had a darker skin tone than anyone else in the family and the father hated baby girl because of it. He said Indian girls are fair not dark skinned. He ended up beating his wife for giving birth to a
“dark skinned” baby and kicked her and the baby out of the house. I don’t see why it was the mother’s or even the baby’s fault that she was a darker shade when the father himself was dark. This goes to show how culture can really impact someone and

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