Essay Questions

How does the ending of “Against the Pleasure Principle” emphasize Saida Herzi’s key theme.

Rahma is not ready to give into her mother’s wish; staying in Somali is analogous to resigning to female circumcision. She makes up her mind to go to America even if it means that her mother would not approve of it. The ending is motivating as it means that if the child she will have will be a girl, she will get away from female circumcision. All in all, the ending is a declaration of war on female circumcision.

Compare and contrast Rahma to the other women in “Against the Pleasure principle”

Rahma is different from the other women as she is not ready to be subdued by the patriarchal demands that are linked to female circumcision. She does not let the circumcision hinder her from pursuing better, non-repressive opportunities in America, such as good healthcare for her unborn baby. Upon realizing that female circumcision is neither healthy nor hygienic, Rahma concludes that she will never subject her daughters to the process. Even though Rahma has never been to America, which would make her well-informed, she is more feminist that Hawa and Dahabo (who have had the opportunity to live in a culture that does not support female circumcision).Comparatively, other women in the story such as Hawa and Dahabo, are resigned to their statuses, which are largely defined by circumcision, to the degree that they dissuade Rahma from going to America. Dahabo values circumcision that is why she has it done to her daughter

Compare Rahma’s attitude towards circumcision when she was four years to when she is a woman. What does the change of attitude show about the probability of ending circumcision?

At the age of four, Rahma’s naivety made her espouse an accommodating attitude towards circumcision. Circumcision did not scare her then as she insisted that she be circumcised despite the young age. However, as a woman, she abhors circumcision. The change in attitude shows that young girls in Somalia fall from innocence due to circumcision, by the time they become cognizant of its detriment, which is most probably when they are old, it is too late and the repercussions of the process can neither be reversed nor be deleted as they are indelible. Rahma’s shift on the outlook circumcision shows that it is possible for proponents of female circumcision, to change their perceptions about the practice after realizing its hazards. Eradicating female circumcision in Somalia and other countries calls for an overhaul of the mentality, which is mainly founded on religious falsehoods, on female circumcision.