The Portrayal of Misogyny in the Middle East: A Study in Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World and Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero

Abstract

Feminist discourse has critically analyzed the representation of women, emphasizing their roles for diversity, voice and resistance within social systems and not merely as victims of oppression. Through an analysis of Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (2019) and Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero (1977), this article analyzes how both authors highlight the struggles and resilience of women under the Impact of patriarchal oppression in Turkey and Egypt. In telling the stories of Tequila Leila and Firdaus, both novels portray the brutality of gender violence and cultural marginalization, while also honoring the quiet strength of agency.

Leila, a sex worker in Istanbul battles the society’s judgment not through weapons, but with friendship and strong sense of self, while Firdaus, behind bars in Cario, tells a powerful story of oppression and resistance. Their stories together highlight how gender, class and power challenge portrayals of Eastern women as powerless and voiceless. Through Leila and Firdaus, Shafak and El Saadawi present women who despite facing systematic violence and marginalization, define their identities with strength and resistance. This article argues that these narratives critique patriarchal norms and demonstrate the power of feminist literature to expose injustices and at the same time, daring to imagine freedom.