There are few things that can show the mankind’s cruelty, rawness, and true emotions. Humans express it while loving each other, going to war and rescuing the ones in need. Hanan Al-Shaykh with the help of her writing skills invites us to the world of a young woman making it through all the imaginable obstacles in ‘The Story of Zahra’. Readers see the main character before and during the Lebanese Civil War. Some might say it is a book written about the cruelty of men towards women but in reality, it is a story about the savagery of the human race.
Some might say that it is hard to believe that one woman can go through so many things such as abortions, abusive relationships, and domestic violence and still be such a complex character. Of course, it is fiction and we need to treat this story as such. However, we can be sure that there are women who are still oppressed and defined by others. Because of the war, Zahra empowers herself, she starts trusting her feelings despite the fear of death. It is a story about the power and control, people cannot get enough of it and it often leads to bad consequences.
Zahra is the example of any woman at war. She is scared, brave and filled with hope: ‘felt like crying, like running away, like screaming many days and night might pass in safety to give me a chance of burying my sadness and unease” (Shaykh 23). Her character represents the women all over the world. We see how patriarchy ruins the minds of the generation and how it affects the society.
Works Cited
Shaykh, H. (1994). The story of Zahra. New York: Anchor Books.
