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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 Jan. - 2 Feb. 2000 Issue No. 466 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 Jan. - 2 Feb. 2000 Issue No. 466
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Family matters
Some of the changes that took place in Europe during the 20th century, and which modified relations between men and women, also occurred in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world. True, these processes unfolded more slowly here, but the basic unit of society is now the individual, not the family. The individual is now motivated primarily by his or her interests, and these are usually material. This change, of course, has been reflected in literature.
At the time when I was writing most of my novels, the situation was somewhat different. The family was the most important element and, as such, was often the unit on which I focused. The status of women was also different -- but I believe this has been misinterpreted, or sometimes reduced to a caricature of reality. In much of my work -- at least, this is the opinion of some readers -- I portray men as having the capacity to act opportunistically or brutally. My male characters include thugs as well as idealistic young men.
The women in my novels, on the other hand, have been seen as more human, somehow: they are generally delicate creatures, even when they make mistakes or are tyrannised by the men in their lives. For instance, I portrayed Amina in the Trilogy as a woman firmly under her husband's thumb; but I tried to show that she was not one-dimensional -- not merely a house-bound victim. I wrote about the respect and love with which she was treated by her children, and even her husband.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
