A Feminist Reading of
Ahmed Saadawi's Novel Frankenstein in Baghdad


This paper aims at providing a feminist reading of Ahmed Saadawi's novel Frankenstein in Baghdad. It proposes to examine the (mis)representations of women in the novel. The reading will show how the Iraqi patriarchal society of the novel whether consciously or unconsciously has subjugated and abused women. It will also point out how that patriarchal oppressive authority has kept women surrendering in humiliation to the overbearing, male hegemony.
This paper is divided into three sections: Section I examines the representation of Elishva as a sole example of a spiritually dedicated and religious woman, Section II deals with the novel's representation of women, such as Nawal al-Wazir, Zeina, Veronica Munib and many others, as lascivious, lustful, sinful, deviant and immoral women. Section II is further subdivided under the following subtitles: Women: the Fallen Beings, Woman as Devil, Women Objectified and In a Patriarchal Society. Section III investigates the representation of the variety of other women (folks) as non-significant, gossipers.