The book, Year of the Elephant (1989) was written by Leila Abouzeid and is a strong reminder of the way of Moroccan women before independence. The book also goes on to explain how Moroccan independence brought about changes in the lives of women. Much like the author herself, the protagonist of the novel Zahra was born a few years before independence and hence has seen the lives of women both, before independence and after independence (in 1956).
Within the novel, the protagonist, Zahra, is divorced by her husband. The worthlessness of a woman in a marital home is described in a pitiful manner. The novel begins with these lines, "He had simply sat down and said, "Your papers will be sent to you along with whatever the law provides." My papers? How worthless a woman is if she can be returned with a paper receipt like some store-bought object! How utterly worthless!" (1). It clearly establishes the position women would have in the family, all of which would be attributed to the lack of education for women due to which the women did not have any means to take care of themselves in case of divorce. Thus, women faced immense oppression in their marriages.
The book, however, only begins with the divorce, elaborating on the lines of how Zahra makes a living for herself, having no family to fall back upon post divorce and how education changes her life. One can contend to say that the life of Zahra, in the novel can be compared to the lives of Moroccan women before independence. The life of Zahra post her divorce and the role that education played in restructuring and improving her life, giving her independence, respect and ability to live her life on her own terms is much the way women changed after the Moroccan independence.
References
Abouzeid, Leila (1989). The Year of The Elephant: A Moroccan Woman’s Journey Toward Independence. University of Texas Press: Austin. Print.
