Book Club post #2

I become more and more shocked as the chapters in this book pan out. More and more disturbed by the actions of men towards women in this book. I am unsure of when this is written and if these conditions are current but it is astonishing that men were able to get away with these sort of things. In chapter 8, I got goosebumps hearing that Nadia would be drowned by her own father in their swimming pool for everyone to see. Every part of this execution is astonishing, especially the part about her father committing this heinous act. In this chapter the narrator states, "I felt a hate for the customs of my land creep into my throat like a foul taste. The absolute lack of control, of freedom for our sex, drove young girls like Wafa and Nadia to desperate acts." This quote stuck out to me, preceding the execution of Nadia it is an enlightening thought to think about how different humans may act under strict conditions that never allowed them to even taste or think about freedom. Their lives were barely worth living to them, how would a human not act irrationally under these circumstances. Furthermore the men in this novel disgust me, and I cringe at the thought of most them. Sultana states, "Such cruel actions were the worst of all commentaries on the wisdom of men who consume and destroy the lives and dreams of their women with emotionless indifference." Not only did the restrictions set by the father of Nadia lead her to make such mischievous decisions but they also lead her to her death. How any father can coldly murder his own blood for such indiscretions leaves me speechless.

Book Club post #1

In the first five chapters of "Princess: ATrue Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia" by Jean Sasson I found the condition of life for women in Saudi Arabia quite disturbing. Although women did not gain a right to vote until 1920 in the U.S. and there were laws intact until the mid 19th century allowing men to physically punish their wives, the cold treatment of women and children is not the custom here. The part of the story I found most disturbing is the way Ali treats his sister, and how their father condones. It seems inhuman to have young girls exposed to such hostility and cruelty as their brother tossed their found puppy out of the window of a moving car. Ali's sadistic ways seem to be learned from his father but also a precedent for Saudi Arabian men in this story. The narrator even makes statements revealing this: "I was a female who was shackled by males unburdened with consequence"and "In our land, brilliance in a woman assures her future misery, for there is nowhere to focus her genius." In a society where men dictate their women, their ability to acquire intelligence or independence is minimal and would be frowned upon. The sister of the narrator, Sara, was even tranquilized to endure her own wedding, to a man almost five times her age, by her father. The fact that Sara had no say in her marriage is startling but the fact that it is acceptable for a father to tranquilize his own daughter made my stomach turn.