Women and Patriarchal Discourse in Egypt Literature, Through Short Stories of Mohamed Hassanein Heikal

Abstract

Patriarchy is a term for a system or structure that has women under its control through social, political, and economic institutions. Patriarchy is also a subset of patriarchal system that its main aim is domination over women and their subjugation. Since many Arab critics and intellectuals have some reasons for women problems and backwardness in the domination of patriarchal system, they also consider their development and liberation in fighting with this system. Accordingly, along with the start of awakening movements in Arab world, women’s libertarian movements were also formed by a struggle with patriarchal system among their objectives. Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, the Egyptian writer, politician, journalist, and jurist is one of the pioneers of this field in Egypt. A part of his works is dedicated to present women’s problems and issues and the criticism of patriarchal system in Egypt. Among these works are his short story collection titled “Gosas Mesriat” in which many of women’s issues in Egypt in the years following World War II is portrayed. The applied analyses in this collection indicate patriarchal culture as the most important discourse criticized by Heikal. It can be studied in three individual, familial, and social fields.

Keywords

• patriarchy
• contemporary literature of egypt
• short story
• mohamed hassanein heikal