Reconciling Arabo-Islamic culture and feminist consciousness in North African women’s writing: Silence and voice in the short stories of Alifa Rifaat and Assia Djebar
This article sets out to explore the theme of silence and voice in selected short stories by two North African women writers, Alifa Rifaat and Assia Djebar. In their representations of women’s lives in Egypt and Algeria, respectively, both Rifaat and Djebar present different strategies employed by w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
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Tydskrif vir Letterkunde Association
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Tydskrif vir Letterkunde |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/tvl/article/view/4459 |
| _version_ | 1818237763816783872 |
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| author | Naomi Nkealah |
| author_facet | Naomi Nkealah |
| author_sort | Naomi Nkealah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article sets out to explore the theme of silence and voice in selected short stories by two North African women writers, Alifa
Rifaat and Assia Djebar. In their representations of women’s lives in Egypt and Algeria, respectively, both Rifaat and Djebar
present different strategies employed by women to counter gender oppression. Although the female characters portrayed by both
writers encounter diverse, and sometimes opposing, circumstances, they tend to share a common plight – the need to break free
from the constricting fetters of patriarchy. A comparative reading of selected stories reveals that Rifaat’s characters resort to silence
as a means of self-preservation, while Djebar’s characters, on the other hand, use techniques ranging from writing to outright
protest to show their rejection of gender-based segregation. In spite of this difference in approach, it can be said that both Rifaat
and Djebar have made a great contribution to feminist literary creativity in North Africa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T12:30:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-41a1e629c7f842c3bbf62adb7738b71c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0041-476X 2309-9070 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T12:30:56Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | Tydskrif vir Letterkunde Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tydskrif vir Letterkunde |
| spelling | doaj.art-41a1e629c7f842c3bbf62adb7738b71c2022-12-22T00:24:26ZafrTydskrif vir Letterkunde AssociationTydskrif vir Letterkunde0041-476X2309-90702018-02-01451Reconciling Arabo-Islamic culture and feminist consciousness in North African women’s writing: Silence and voice in the short stories of Alifa Rifaat and Assia DjebarNaomi Nkealah0University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgThis article sets out to explore the theme of silence and voice in selected short stories by two North African women writers, Alifa Rifaat and Assia Djebar. In their representations of women’s lives in Egypt and Algeria, respectively, both Rifaat and Djebar present different strategies employed by women to counter gender oppression. Although the female characters portrayed by both writers encounter diverse, and sometimes opposing, circumstances, they tend to share a common plight – the need to break free from the constricting fetters of patriarchy. A comparative reading of selected stories reveals that Rifaat’s characters resort to silence as a means of self-preservation, while Djebar’s characters, on the other hand, use techniques ranging from writing to outright protest to show their rejection of gender-based segregation. In spite of this difference in approach, it can be said that both Rifaat and Djebar have made a great contribution to feminist literary creativity in North Africa.https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/tvl/article/view/4459Alifa RifaatAssia DjebarIslamwomenshort storyfeminism |
| spellingShingle | Naomi Nkealah Reconciling Arabo-Islamic culture and feminist consciousness in North African women’s writing: Silence and voice in the short stories of Alifa Rifaat and Assia Djebar Tydskrif vir Letterkunde Alifa Rifaat Assia Djebar Islam women short story feminism |
| title | Reconciling Arabo-Islamic culture and feminist consciousness in North African women’s writing: Silence and voice in the short stories of Alifa Rifaat and Assia Djebar |
| title_full | Reconciling Arabo-Islamic culture and feminist consciousness in North African women’s writing: Silence and voice in the short stories of Alifa Rifaat and Assia Djebar |
| title_fullStr | Reconciling Arabo-Islamic culture and feminist consciousness in North African women’s writing: Silence and voice in the short stories of Alifa Rifaat and Assia Djebar |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reconciling Arabo-Islamic culture and feminist consciousness in North African women’s writing: Silence and voice in the short stories of Alifa Rifaat and Assia Djebar |
| title_short | Reconciling Arabo-Islamic culture and feminist consciousness in North African women’s writing: Silence and voice in the short stories of Alifa Rifaat and Assia Djebar |
| title_sort | reconciling arabo islamic culture and feminist consciousness in north african women s writing silence and voice in the short stories of alifa rifaat and assia djebar |
| topic | Alifa Rifaat Assia Djebar Islam women short story feminism |
| url | https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/tvl/article/view/4459 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT naominkealah reconcilingaraboislamiccultureandfeministconsciousnessinnorthafricanwomenswritingsilenceandvoiceintheshortstoriesofalifarifaatandassiadjebar |