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The Occupation And Abuse Of National And Female Bodies

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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

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