A FEMINIST DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF NAWAL EL SAADAWI’S WOMAN AT POINT ZERO
Abstract
ABSTRACT
This research conducts a Feminist Discourse Analysis (FDA) of Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi to examine how language reflects and challenges gender-based oppression. Drawing upon the theoretical frameworks of Michelle Lazar (2005) and Sara Mills (1997), the study explores the ways in which the protagonist, Firdaus, utilizes language to assert agency within a deeply patriarchal society. Through close textual analysis, the study reveals that Saadawi’s linguistic strategies such as repetition, metaphor, and first-person narrative serve as powerful tools of feminist resistance. Firdaus’ narrative not only exposes the systemic nature of oppression embedded in institutions like marriage, religion, and state authority but also reclaims power through self-expression and emotional intensity. The study concludes that language in feminist literature, especially when applied through FDA, becomes a medium of empowerment and resistance. This work adds to the scholarship on feminist literary criticism by highlighting the significance of discourse in transforming female victimhood into agency and resistance.
Keywords: Feminist Discourse Analysis, Language and Power, Patriarchy, Firdaus, Nawal El Saadawi, Resistance, Gender Inequality.
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