Woman at Point Zero Essay Questions

Explain the novel’s title. What does Woman at Point Zero mean?

“Point zero,” or the “zero point,” is defined as the point on a numerical scale from which positive and negative readings can be made. It is a “neutral point” or starting point, and from there, things can go either positively or negatively. When Firdaus was born, she began at this point zero, but her family’s circumstances impacted her negatively. As we follow her story in the novel, we see moments of triumph and moments of suffering. These moments raise her above point zero and drop her below it. By the end of the novel, Firdaus loses her fear and is at peace with herself and her place in the world. She has reached point zero again, impacted neither positively nor negatively by life’s triumphs and trials.

Research Nawal El Saadawi, and then compare and contrast her life with Firdaus’s. In what ways are their lives the same, and in what ways are they different?

The similarities between the lives of Saadawi and Firdaus suggest that some experiences are universal for Egyptian women. For example, both women were circumcised at young ages, and both were considered ready for marriage at young ages as well. They both grew up in rural Egyptian villages, which is possibly one reason why the people around them stunted and controlled their senses of sexuality. Furthermore, both women end up incarcerated for daring to challenge patriarchy and the status quo.

At the same time, the differences between the lived experiences of Saadawi and Firdaus are a testament to how socioeconomic and family background can impact outcomes for Egyptian women. While both women were able to attend secondary school and thrived there, Saadawi was allowed and encouraged to attend university whereas Firdaus was forced to marry a man 40 years her senior. Saadawi had her father’s support in her quest for an education, but Firdaus did not. If given the chance to attend college, could Firdaus have had a different life and outcome? Could these two women have met as colleagues or friends, and not as a psychiatrist and a prison inmate? Criminally, we will never know.

Analyze Sharifa Salah el Dine. How is she different from the men who betrayed Firdaus, and how is she similar?

Sharifa Salah el Dine is a polarizing character in the novel. In some respects, she has a positive impact on Firdaus’s life and story, which differentiates her from the men in the novel. She teaches Firdaus to recognize her own beauty and intelligence, and she encourages Firdaus not to allow a man to degrade or undervalue those qualities. She also introduces Firdaus to prostitution, which, controversial vocation or not, allows Firdaus to gain some independence. In the same breath, Sharifa uses Firdaus’s body in her own prostitution business, without Firdaus’s explicit understanding or consent. Rather than explaining the situation to Firdaus and giving the younger woman a fair share of the profit, Sharifa literally keeps Firdaus in the dark and on her back. In this way, Sharifa is no different from a man like Bayoumi, who sold Firdaus to his friends for sex. It is arguable that Sharifa’s betrayal hurts more than the men’s betrayal because she began as Firdaus’s savior and introduced herself to Firdaus under the guise of a surrogate mother or sister.

Discuss the role that “the streets” play in Firdaus’s journey.

“The streets” begin as a source of overstimulation and fear for Firdaus, but by the end of Woman at Point Zero, they’ve transitioned to a place of refuge and power. The first time she enters the streets alone is after she overhears her uncle and his wife arranging her marriage to Sheikh Mahmoud. When her feet hit the pavement, the sights and sounds of the streets bombard and overwhelm her. As the night comes, she can feel eyes with ill intent on her body, and she becomes paralyzed with fear. This fear leads her to return to her uncle’s house and marry Sheikh Mahmoud. However, when the Sheikh beats her to the point of bleeding, Firdaus runs to the streets to escape his abuse. The streets are her refuge again when she breaks out of Bayoumi’s apartment, and they are where she goes yet again after learning of Sharifa’s betrayal. By the end of the novel, when Firdaus leaves Marzouk’s apartment after killing him, the streets are more than a place of refuge for Firdaus: they are a place of comfort and power. She no longer walks the streets with her head bowed, but rather with her head held high, confident in who she is and her place in the world. The people in the streets no longer frighten, intimidate, or manipulate her. The place she once feared has now become her home.

What political statements can the reader infer that Saadawi may be attempting to make in Woman at Point Zero?

Saadawi’s novel is awash with political statements and arguments. She begins in her preface to the novel, where she references the Egyptian government stifling freedom of speech and imprisoning people for “political offenses.” She continues by detailing Firdaus’s genital mutilation and the subsequent chronic trauma Firdaus experiences as a result. The removal of her clitoris haunts Firdaus for the rest of her life, and Saadawi makes a strong argument for how female genital mutilation is devastating to the mental health of girls and women. She also posits that prostitution, a controversial topic in most countries and cultures, is one way for women to gain a shred of independence, so long as they can avoid male influence in the form of pimps, police, judges, etc. One of the most infamous parts of the novel is when Firdaus makes the bold statement that all women are prostitutes. This ties into Saadawi’s major political statement: there is little freedom or independence women can achieve so long as men rule society.