Invaders like the British were to be opposed. Impoverished peasants, their national pride ran high. The author herself becomes an eloquent affirmation that men are not intellectually superior to women.Įl-Saadawi’s political roots spring primarily from her father and his mother’s family. Revealing her didactic intent in a discussion of female anatomy, the writer utilizes her medical authority as a trained physician to point out important differences among women, and to explain why some brides’ hymens do not break on cue. She goes on to trace the development and significance of prostitution. El-Saadawi repeatedly observes that the patriarchal system is built on exploitation of cheap, free, or slave labor. After an account of women in religious history–”Eve was the first goddess of knowledge, later to be succeeded by the pharaonic Isis”–the author discusses the role of women in Arab history. It surveys aggression against female children, the practice and perils of circumcision (citing her own), and the development and deficiencies of the patriarchal family. The first section, “The Mutilated Half,” describes with impassioned detail the current fate of women in Arab society. “The Hidden Face of Eve” gives a historical overview of women’s social position.
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