Woman At Point Zero By Nawal Saadawi: The Significance Of The Sharifa- Firdaus Encounter

In her novel, Woman at Point Zero (1937), Nawal Saadawi narrates her encounter with a female prisoner, the protagonist, Firdaus. She makes thorough use of language used by characters, imagery and reference to colour in exploration their significance in changing the character’s mood and feelings. She does this through Sharifa, whom she uses to transform Firdaus’s life into becoming a prostitute and hence tutors her into self-awareness. This conveys the impact of Sharifa and Firdaus’s encounter to Firdaus. Closer analysis of their encounter from the first meeting, the impact of Sharifa’s green eyeshadow and eyes and the responses of nature, will help explore and show the significance of Sharifa to Firdaus.

To begin with, we first encounter Sharifa by the river Nile, right after Firdaus’s escape from Bayoumi. Firdaus describes the sky as “the bluest sky” and the colour signifies peace and which foreshadows the metamorphosis that takes place in her life after she meets Sharifa. In addition to that, Saadawi makes reference to the colour green in Sharifa’s eyes as a sign of protection and security. She states how she opened her eyes “to find a woman seated” next to her “wearing a green shawl” hence, she finds it as a rather “strange, sensation of drowning in dark green…like the feel of water in the sea…” where she feels like “sleeping, sinking or being swallowed. ” At this point, sibilance plays a crucial role in expressing Sharifa’s voice has total power over Firdaus’ mood and its ability to entrap her into drowsiness. Additionally the repetition of the “dark green” in Sharifa’s eyes and the personification, “this liquid green enveloping her” creates a rather different visual imagery of allurement which kind of foreshadows Sharifa’s use of dominance and control over Firdaus as well as her jealousy over her. Saadawi uses Sharifa’s voice and green eyes to highlight her effective way of using them to attain Firdaus’s attention and focus, as Firdaus’s gaze in her eyes seems inseparable and invigorating, as if she has finally found peace and residence. Firdaus’s perception and idea of power is shifted through her encounter with Sharifa, who is rather independent and uses men to her advantage through their manly desires over her body. Due to this, Firdaus realises that she, as a woman can wield power too unlike her previous life where all men use women as objects. Sharifa teaches Firdaus how to command power of her attractive body, and makes her aware of her own body. In this, Firdaus becomes self-aware and discovers how attractive she is. Firdaus becomes “a young novice in Sharifa’s hands, ” who opens “her eyes to life and reveals areas and unseen features of her face and body making her more aware of them…for the first time”, reinforcing the idea of tutoring and the processes Sharifa takes Firdaus through in her new life of self-discovery. Through her skillful application of makeup and how she presents herself like an upper class woman and dresses in elegant and fine clothing, Firdaus begins to idolize and admire Sharifa. This rather makes Sharifa more reliable Through Sharifa, Firdaus learns the importance of culture and the value of her beautiful body. She is enlightened of her beauty and strength which she uses as a way of exploiting her to men and getting money in exchange. Sharifa, however becomes like a motherly figure in Firdaus’s life and like her mom, Firdaus supports and cares for Firdaus. Under Sharifa, Firdaus is reborn an attractive, strong and confident woman and quite aware of the power she has acquired over men. Nonetheless, like her mom, Sharifa gets jealous of Firdaus and the attention she gets from men, so she aims to control her.

Before long she escapes from Sharifa’s house and goes to live her life of her own and follow her destiny. She realises there are disparities between them; Sharifa is more concerned about living a luxurious life and easily gives in to men’s demands in order to attain this. Sharifa lacks her own power and is more concerned with earning money by charming and pleasing men who come to her. Firdaus like Sharifa wants comfort and luxury but wants to have freedom and power of her own. After her self-discovery, Firdaus realises that the power she has over men is more significant that the luxurious life she gains from them. She manages to live a life where she has total power over men and makes her own choices unlike Sharifa. She becomes her own boss and possesses a certain level of authority through “employing someone to arrange appointments for her engage a cook who prepared food for her. ” As taught by Sharifa, Firdaus is able to have deference even over the most powerful men she meets and this earns her a lot of respect she couldn’t get as a secretary. This means Sharifa gives Firdaus education, which enables her to outline her life and decide what is worth and suited for the comfort of her life and her dignity. Sharifa enables Firdaus to identify the significance of possessing what other people desire, which is power. Her demand for higher prices is an example of her exercising her power by denying their requests and the men do fall in, thus grant her demands in terms of prices. She creates for herself a respectable title, through her possession of mone, she can now afford cooks in addition to her “bank mounting all the time.” Saadawi however tries to reinforce the significance of prostitution in Firdaus life, when she shifts off to office and lacks the dignity and respect she earns. This reinforces the extent at which prostitution gives Firdaus more freedom and power. With more money sha can now engage with more powerful people including “few close friends” she chooses for herself.

Nawal Saadawi uses nature imagery to establish twists and changes in relationships. Firdaus relationship with Sharifa shifts when Sharifa begins using Firdaus for prostitution and after Firdaus had asked her about feeling pleasure during her encounters with men. Sharifa teaches Firdaus that she “will get nothing out of feeling”. In this case Firdaus is deprived of her right to feel and taught against it. Firdaus loses her initial trust in Sharifa as she no longer appears the all caring and motherly but more dominating and controlling. “The Nile” is “no longer there…its waters stretched out…but” she “could no longer see it”. This reinforces the role of nature imagery in depicting a character’s feelings and emotions. Firdaus feel betrayed and estranged by the Nile, which is also reflected by Sharifa’s shift in behaviour towards her. The abrupt shift in nature’s behaviour reflects her sudden lack of confidence and comfort in Sharifa.