Nationalism and Women in Literary Works Essay

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Feminine characters have been used by different authors to develop nationalism as a theme in their literary works. The women characters may either be used to carry on the patriotic engagements of the nationalists or be used antagonistically against the nationalists. Nevertheless, most authors opt to use feminine characters to depict their feminine contribution to nationalism. This is done intentionally to emphasize the actual role played by women towards nationalism that is often assumed.

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In Season of Migration to the North, Hosna Bint Mahmoud supports the nationalist activities of the unnamed narrator (Salih 33). The narrator recalls the plight of Sudanese women in England and the challenges they encounter in their relationships. Thus, the narrator is against cultural oppression and suppression, which is evident throughout society, and his father is surprised (Mahfouz 23).

Although he does not speak out his mind, the flow of thoughts in his mind reveals his burning urge to advocate for the liberation of women in society making his thoughts are in line with Hosna Bint Mahmoud. When his husband Mustafa dies, plans are underway to forcefully marry her off to Wad Reyes and although the narrator is opposed to this, he still does not comment on the situation. Hosna makes up her mind to reject the forced marriage and ends up murdering Wad Reyes. She, like the narrator, is opposed to the oppression of women.

Return of the Spirit presents Muhsin as the nationalist (Al-Hakim 43). The author develops him as a nationalist and a patriot who aspires to be the voice of the Egyptians. He revolts against his father’s opulence and opts to spend his time with the farm workers. Furthermore, Muhsin is opposed to the British colonization of Egypt, and this earns him a jail sentence. The important virtue of noting about Muhsin is that he is not interested in material wealth, but strictly follows the desires of his heart to fight for the liberation of Egypt from colonial rule.

On the other hand, Saniya is a beautiful lady who subsequently rejects Muhsin’s hand in marriage and ends up marrying Mustafa. She symbolically represents the new awakened Egypt and initially finds a hard time in choosing a potential husband between Muhsin and Mustafa. Mustafa has roots in Turkey; hence, he is not purely Egyptian. Thus, Saniya opts to follow her heart and marry a man he has fallen in love with and not because of material wealth. She, like Muhsin, sticks to their hearty convictions.

There exist similarities between Hosna in Season of Migration to the North and Saniya in Return of the Spirit with regards to the ideal of unity that nationalism projects. The women in both books are used to bring forth the idea of equal gender participation in nationalism. For instance, Hosna concurs with the narrator on the need to allow women to make individual decisions. This is brought out when she rejects the arranged marriage to Wad while Saniya, on the other hand, represents the need for cooperation between men and women in Egypt to achieve nationalism goal. Saniya manages to offer beneficial advice to Mustafa on how best to invest and take care of his wealth. Hence, this depicts that nationalism requires the contribution of both men and women in society.

In conclusion, feminine characters are given different roles in different books, depending on the theme being developed by the author. The characters may support or oppose the main theme as well as have a similar contribution to the theme in different books.

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Works Cited

Al-Hakim, Tawfiq. Return of the Spirit. London, UK: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2000. Print.

Mahfouz, Naguib. Midaq Alley. London, UK: Anchor Books, 2007. Print.

Salih, Tayeb. Season of Migration to the North. New York, NY: New York Review of Books, 2009. Print.

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IvyPanda. 2020. "Nationalism and Women in Literary Works." July 6, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nationalism-and-women-in-literary-works/.

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IvyPanda. "Nationalism and Women in Literary Works." July 6, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nationalism-and-women-in-literary-works/.

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