Incarcerated Power: Tracing Foucault’s Footsteps in Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero

Abstract

Abstract Many researchers have approached Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero from different perspectives; however, little has been done to show the complexity of the main character, Firdaus, and her transformation through the story. The present study focuses on the process of character transformation from what may seem to be a state of misery to that of disobedience and heroic resistance. Foucault’s theory of power, as followed by the third-wave feminists, can shed further light on the dynamic change in the personality of the central character. The study reveals that the laws in a patriarchal society, the protagonist’s lack of awareness, and her irresistible fears are the main reasons for her predicaments. The study also shows that the main character, Firdaus, as a free subject, is not always a passive recipient of power but from time to time, she also makes her presence felt. By telling her story, she tries to share her idiosyncratic form of power with other women and inspire them in their struggles against social inequality and male chauvinism.