Women at Point Zero is a novel that tells the story of a prostitute, Firdaus. She is awaiting her death sentence in prison. She suffered sexual harassment which caused trauma throughout her life in Egypt. The title of the story, Women at Point Zero, is an indication of how Firdaus encounters difficult times in life. It describes the struggles women face in Egypt. Poverty, sexual assault and exploitation are major conflicts that she experiences during her life. Violence against women is prevalent in Women at Point Zero. Violence is represented through sexual violence, domestic violence and forced marriages. The author used vivid imagery to depict the conflicts Firdaus faced in order to attempt a heartbreaking response from the reader. There are many institutions responsible for the oppression that women faced in the novel and acts of cruelty against women were depicted in different ways; oppression can therefore be a major theme of the novel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The family is a major institution for the oppression that women face in the novel. Firdaus was taught from a young age that she is not important and must follow her parents' orders. Evidence that women were not important can be seen in the statement: "When one of his daughters died, my father would have dinner, my mother would wash his legs, then he would go to sleep, just like he did do. every night.” This created low self-esteem. She was punished for her bad deeds and these punishments usually consisted of severe beatings and no dinner. Beatings are images of abuse and oppression. The punishments described can be clearly visualized by the reader. This is important because it helped to understand the physical pain Fidaus felt. His father often beat his mother and sometimes he beat her too. Domestic violence is a major conflict that women face. Egyptian women had no rights and had to abide by laws created by men. The context of the novel is one of the main reasons why women suffered from poor treatment. In the novel, women were also violent towards women. At first, her mother started beating her, “then she brought a woman who was carrying a small knife or maybe a razor blade. They cut a piece of flesh between my thighs.” This is another imagery created by the writer to express the physical torments women face. The imagery of cut flesh is disturbing but nonetheless relevant in describing the brutality suffered by women. Before the brutal act of female genital mutilation, Firdaus was able to feel sexual pleasure by touching the clitoris. As Firdaus grows, the pleasure before circumcision is lost. This was a major conflict in history; because of the mutilation, Firdaus suffered all his life. This conflict caused not only physical pain but also psychological trauma. Her experiences in such an environment where men are highly favored led her to live a life of defeated submission. His life in his parents' house paints a picture of a gloomy setting where misfortune and wickedness are present at all times. Men are the main reason why women face oppression in the novel. The role of women in Egypt showed the privilege that men possessed to mistreat women. Egypt is a countrywhich has no respect for women and this context has contributed to the oppression of women. Egyptian women did not work. They had to cook, clean, look after the children and did not attend school. It showed imagery of hardship and suffering resulting from oppression. They did not choose who to marry or make any important decisions for the family. They were often beaten by the male figure in their family. “All women are victims of deception. Men cheat on women and punish them for being cheated on.” This was another conflict that the women faced. For Firdaus, men everywhere have finally become a threat. His father, for example, was a cruel and barbaric person who frequently beat his wife and made her "bite the dust every night." When one of Firdaus' younger sisters dies at a young age, his father shows no and he would "beat my mother". Even while being a prostitute, Fidaus believed that she was not doing what she wanted but rather what men wanted. “I knew that my job had been invented by men and that men controlled both of our worlds.” Violence against women was common in the novel, and again the contributing institution was the family. According to El Saadawi in Women at Point Zero, she described Firdaus' sexual assault by her uncle: "My uncle's big, long fingers were coming closer to me...his lips touched my face and pressed on my lips, then his Fingers felt their way up my thighs.” This created vivid imagery of rape in which a woman suffers. This event caused her to live a difficult life, which serves as a major conflict in the novel. A member of her own family attacked her and made her a victim of oppression. Firdaus' uncle was one of the main reasons why she lived a low, depressed and oppressed life. As a result of his assault, she underwent genital mutilation without his permission and was no longer able to experience sexual pleasure. Men were capable of treating women without respect in Egypt, as shown when he assaulted his niece. The family institution was responsible for the oppression of women in Egypt. Friendship is a social institution also responsible for the way women were oppressed in the novel. Firdaus left the patriarchal family and took to the streets where she met Bayoumi. He became friends with her, but he didn't really care about her. He locked her up and forced her into prostitution. Being locked up created an image of a person without freedom. This showed that Firdaus was in physical and emotional turmoil. He made her sell her body without giving her a choice. Faced with her difficulties, she had no choice but to obey. She was in a vulnerable position, with no one to help her; not even his family because even they oppressed him. This led her to become a victim of oppression as she faced many conflicts such as poverty and lack of autonomy. Bayoumi demonstrated an act of domination and exploitation and women suffered greatly under male rule in the Middle East. A patriarchal framework discriminates against women's right to make choices. The setting of the novel is in the Middle East, where men were superior. The settings contributed to the oppression Firdaus faced from Bayoumi. In fact, no rights were granted to women at that time. Government institutions are also responsible for women living in oppression and a major conflict in the novel was a woman's inability to better herself in life. Living in Egypt meant women had no rights.