A Reading in -Arab Women Writers: An Anthology Of Short Stories - - Part Six

In this part of the anthology, we read eight short stories depicting the obstacles that stands in front of women trials to establish themselves, and build their own independent entity. These obstacles varies from the burden of looking after a family for working women, social and political chains, marrying closed-minded men, and many other causes.

In “International Women’s day” by the Egyptian author Salwa Bakr, we read about male-female relationship when the woman is the boss-;- still the story shows how some successful women suffer in their trials to balance between their work and household duties. The story shows that the headmistress was thinking on her own problems while doing her job, and she was not that tough dealing with violations to rules, especially when the teacher beats the little pupil.

In “The filly became a mouse” by the Lebanese author Layla Ba’labakki, we read a wonderful short stories on how marriage could bury women dreams and freedom, here the liberal young girl, who is the daughter of a foreign mother, and who had got classes in ballet and music fell in love with an oriental man who was so closed-minded. After his promises to let her dance and enjoy her freedom, he behaves in a complete different way after marriage. Still, this man was deceiving her, but preventing her from working. Her mother died of grief when she married him. The filly here is the symbol of her previous freedom, before she becomes an imprisoned mouse.

In “Restoration” by the Saudi author Umayma Al-Khamis, we read a short text depicting the inner collapse a woman experiences inside despite all her trials to escape such a feeling.

In “waiting for Hayla” by the Saudi author Umayma Al-Khamis, we read on the boredom women in conservative countries live in-;- and how they are wasting their time for nothing, in a way that everything seems meaningless.

In “The closely guarded secret” by the Egyptian author Sahar Al-Muji, we read on the liberation a woman feels by living in the way she likes even if in secret-;- here we read a short text in which the woman deceives others that she is living as they want, but keep her own secrets hidden for herself only.

In “I will never forfeit my right” by the Egyptian author Mona Ragab, we read on the injustice women might face in custody cases-;- how the judges do not listen, and how men use this aspect to revenge from their ex-wives. It shows women struggle to improve themselves, and the pains they might experience in their trials to do so.

In “Homecoming” by the Algerian author Fadila Al-Faruq, we read on the happiness of a woman coming back to her homeland. It shows how she dislikes the life in France before she recollects all the misery in her own homeland, and realizes that she is an alien now, and refused by her own family except for her mother who tries to prevent her hearing her other relatives’ talking.

In “Bittersweet memories” by the Emirati author Zabya Khamis, we read on the conflicts a woman from gulf countries suffer when they came back to their homeland. We read on her talking to a French citizen who had a job opportunity in this country, his reading on beheading, floggings take place in it, on the moving black tents in the streets, and many other mysterious things to him. He was astonished to see a modern woman having beer beside him in the airplane. The woman recollects all her socialist and secular activities, when the officer asked her about her close-male relative, and why she was not wearing the cloak. She wonders about the silence of international organizations for violating human rights in her country, and if she has a homeland, and why was she coming back to such a place that humiliate human beings’ rights.

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