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The Impac o Women in No he n Nige ia No els: Re lec ions F om Zaynab
Alkali’s Cobwebs Ando he S o iesand Abubaka Gimba’s Sac ed Apples
Bolanle Funmilayo KOLEDADE PhD
School o Ea ly Childhood,
Kwa a S a e College o Educa ion, Ilo in.
[email p o ec ed], 08033782209
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/ 10.5281/zenodo.17740965
Abs ac
Fo no aul o he women, socie y and men ha e come up wi h belie s ha ha e o e ime
been used o unde mine he oles and s a us o women in socie y. In mos cases, he women
a e desc ibed as he “weak’ and ulne able”. This belie p omo es he idea o pa ia chy
in socie y. Ea ly li e a y w i ings in No he n Nige ia p ojec pa ia chy h ough he
disdain ul indi e ence and c uel y ha he men cha ac e s subjec he women cha ac e s
o (i hey e e appea ). Howe e , wi h he in oduc ion o eminism as a li e a y ideology,
concep ions on he oles and s a us o women began o change. The eme gen end as i
a ec s he ep esen a ion o women in subsequen No he n Nige ia no els is he e o e,
examined h ough Zaynab Alkali’s Cobwebs and O he S o ies (1997). and Abubaka
Gimba’s Sac ed Apples (1994) This s udy ocuses on he no elis s’ use o eminism as an
ideology o unde sco e he need o women libe a ion om he shackles o socie al
inhibi ions and pa ia chal domina ion ha ha e con inued o dwa he po en ials,
abili ies and capabili ies o women in No he n Nige ia o e ime. Indeed, ha hey ha e
been desc ibed as mo he s, housekeepe s and house wi es whose oices eally do no
ma e in he scheme o hings in socie y is wha he con empo a y li e a y wo ks unde
his s udy ha e come o challenge.
Keywo ds: Impac , Re lec ion, Pa ia chal domina ion, Feminism, No he n Nige ia.
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In oduc ion
Li e a u e as a concep has been de ined by a numbe o schola s. Wi hou ecou se o any
speci ic de ini ion, we would wan o posi ha li e a u e is a e lec ion o he happenings in socie y.
Fo i is by so doing ha we shall be able o examine and app aise he socio cul u al p ac ices o he
people o No he n Nige ia and how such ansla e in o ea men o cha ac e s as p ojec ed in he
no els o ou ocus. Li e a u e is a canon which consis s o hose wo ks in language by which a
communi y de ines i sel h ough he cou se o i s his o y.
Acco ding o Michael Je one (1988); li e a u e is:
a human p oduc , a humane a . I canno be ca ied on (c ea ed),
unde s ood (s udies), o app ecia ed (expe ienced) ou side o i s de ini i e
human con ex . The gene al science go e ning ha human con ex is
socio-his o ical (2).
Likewise Pinel Vinn Sha a is o he opinion ha :
Li e a u e is a piece o w i ing ha is alued as a wo k o a . I eco ds
and e lec s socie al expe iences- i s alues, p oblems s uc u e and e en .
Li e a u e embodies he w i e ’s e alua ion o his wo ld o illumina e i s
possibili ies.
Lind o s (1982) in an a emp o con ex ually si ua e issues wi hin known milieu posi s ha :
When examining any hing ha has changed o e ime, usually i is a good
policy o begin a he beginning. The pas can each us much abou he
p esen , so we ough o y o place ou subjec in his o ical pe spec i e
by asking a numbe o ques ions abou i s e olu ion. How did i come in o
being? Why did i assume his shape a he han ano he ? Wha o ces
in luenced i s g ow h and de elopmen ... (p. 1).
Tha ou subjec o s udy is a phenomenon o change p esupposes ha we ask ques ions simila o hose
enume a ed abo e i we mus come o e ms wi h he conce n o an app aisal o he impac o women
in No he n Nige ia, pa icula ly, as exposed by he no els unde s udy’.
No he n Nige ia is a cul u ally di e se egion wi h ce ain collec i e iden i y. I oday houses
a numbe o s a es ca ed ou o he o me No he n Region o Nige ia. Reco ds o e ime ha e shown
ha li e a y w i ings in No he n Nige ia om he p e-colonial e a we e pas ime o he men. Women
w i e s ha e indeed lagged behind hei male coun e pa s. Sani and Ib ahi n (1997) in jus i ying his
claim ecall ha :
Fo ins ance, in 1985, s ock and p ice lis issued by he mos in luen ial
publishe o li e a u e in No he n Nige ia, he No he n Nige ian
Publishing Company (NNPC) Za ia, ou o a o al 68 li e a y i les; only
one poe y book was au ho ed by a woman, i.e., Alkalami a 1-lannun Ma a
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(The Pen Welded by Women); an educa ional piece in he Hausa language
by H. Hauwa and H. Yai Shehu. (pp. 1-2).
The medium o w i ing in No he n Nige ia appea s om he beginning o ha e been Hausa and o he
na i e languages. Howe e , as is he adi ion wi h o he egional li e a u es. The upsu ge o c ea i e
w i ing wi nessed he upcoming o popula ic ion in English pa icula ly a e Nige ian’s poli ical
independence.
Ou in es iga ion in o he s a us and oles o women in No he n Nige ia as cap u ed in he
no els wi h No he n Nige ia se ing is he e o e a sea ch in o wha hings a e in ope a ion as he
conce n he women in No he n Nige ia socie y. Then and oday, No he n Nige ia Li e a u e in
English like o he popula egional wo ks o a is said o ha e been domina ed by male w i e s.
Ce ainly, hese w i e s conce n hemsel es wi h he adi ion o p esen ing he women as cha ac e s
wi hin he milieu o a male o ien ed and domina ed wo ld. They explo e he exis ing basic socie al
in e ences and eligions obliga ions o p omo e pa ia chy. This condi ion in No he n Nige ia and by
ex ension he iew o he wide wo ld un o una ely, p esen s women as objec s o be opp essed and
exploi ed by he men.
I mus be emphasized a his poin ha he shades o exploi a ion o he women o e ime a e
no necessa ily as a esul o any inhe en weaknesses ha he women a e na u ally endowed wi h bu
hose ha socie y and men ha e se o hem o pe pe ually keep hem in a s a e o subse ience and
se i ude. Tha we oday ha e li e a y wo ks p oduced ochallenge hese ai s is a d i e owa ds cu ing
a new iden i y o he women an iden i y en i ely di e en om wha i used o be in he pas .
Women in he Eyes o Men and Socie y
The men o e ime ha e gene ally exhibi ed some cha ac e is ics ha place hem high and abo e
he women. This belie s uc u ed wi hin he ambi and pu iew o pa ia chy has o e he yea s been
esponsible o he domina ion o he women by men. Walum (1977) e lec ing on he concep o
pa ia chy p esen s wo majo pe spec i es and submi s ha :
The bio-gene ic explana ion is based on he idea ha , because male
dominance is cul u ally uni e sal, i mus be gene ically caused and i
mus play a majo ole in he su i al o he human species. Males and
Females, he p oponen s a gue, a e physically and ho monally di e en .
Males ha e a highe le el o and ogens, he “agg essi ely” ho mone,
whe eas emales ha e a mon hly ho monal cycle. (p. 141).
The implica ion o his submission is ha , gene ally, ana omical and ho monal di e ences be ween he
males and he emales p esuppose ha he men a e mo e se apa o ene ge ic asks hue he women
o ce ain biological ac o s ha allow hem o pe o m biological oles o child bea ing and lac a ion
a e o domes ic wo ks.
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Fu he mo e, Walum (1977) explo es on he pe spec i e o bio-cul u al heo y in he
ad ancemen o male chau inism (pa ia chy) when he says:
In hun ing and ga he ing socie ies, mea (p o ein) is sca ce, and men ha e
monopoly on hun ing and ishing. Howe e , con a y o common opinion,
men a e hun e s no because he a e physically s onge o mo e agile...
i is p ima ily because hun ing and ca ying bu dens a e incompa ible
ac i i ies. Women a e no only ca ying oe uses in u e us, upse ing
balance in la e mon h, bu hey ca y nu sing in an s. (p. 142).
The e is a clea deduc ion om he abo e ha men ha e an edge o e he women. Male domina ion
shown h ough he igh s and p i ileges he has o con ol and dis ibu e sca ce goods and se ices as
he p o ide while he woman only engages in child bea ing and ea ing.
Simila ly, Oba emi (2008) in a discou se on gende poli ics is o he iew ha :
Women a e de ined ela i e o men, who ypi y humani y. All eligions gi e
c edence o his man-de i ed pe sonali y o woman. Bo h he Bible and
he Ko an asse ha E e was c ea ed om he ib o Adam; so as o assis
him...The A ican adi ional eligion gi es oles o women, which a e
inexo ably in e io o hose o men - as wi es, mo he s and home- ende s.
(p. 80).
The implica ion o his is ha he man is s onge and he e o e supe io o he woman. The woman a
bes is o he man; a helpma e and his has been he si ua ion o e ime.
Pa ia chy and he Women Fold
Pa ia chy is a phenomenon ha is used o po ay men as supe io o he women. Joseph 2003)
discussing along his belie submi s ha :
Pa ia chy is an ideology ha gi es men con idence. Subo dina es he
emale o male o ea s he emale as an in e io being. (p. 161).
This submission is in ag eemen wi h he belie and p ac ice o he No he n Nige ia socie y. Indeed,
eachings o he Islamic belie , Ch is iani y and he adi ional belie s o he people No he n Nige ia
clea ly suppo pa ia chy.
Islam on one hand is said o ha e classi ied women as p ope ies o be acqui ed by men o se
and disca ded jus as he Judeo-Ch is ian my h o c ea ion clea ly de ines woman and he expec a ions.
The NIV S udy Bible in he Book o Genesis (Chap e 2:21-22) says ha :
So he Lo d God caused he man o all in o a deep sleep, while he was
sleeping; he ook one o he man’s ibs and closed up he place wi h lesh.
Then he Lo d made a woman om he ib he had aken ou o he man,
and he b ough he o he man.
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This is an a es a ion o he belie ha God c ea ed woman ou o man and o man.
Acco dingly, he Holy Bible in he Book o (I Pe e 3:17) desc ibes he woman as ‘weake
essels who should be submissi e o hei husbands and call hei husbands hei mas e s”.
The posi ions o hese eligious belie s allow he men in No he n Nige ia o ea he women
wi h lesse digni y. They acco d he women he s a us o “se an s” o be used, opp essed and exploi ed
a will. This explains why i is no s ange o ha e emale cha ac e s in hei wo ks o a ake oles ha
a e adi ionally asc ibed o hem wi hou complain s.
Feminism and No he n Nige ia Li e a u e
De elopmen s o e ime, howe e , began o aise some ques ions in he minds o w i e s
gene ally. Such ques ions ha e o do wi h aising issues and oices o e he decades o gende
inequali y. The a emp o ques ion he a ionale behind his gende inequali y by he eme gen emale
au ho s and some o hei men coun e pa s wi h lai o gende issues as i we e is no o c ea e o
d aw a ba le line be ween hem and he ea lie male au ho s. Ins ead, he a emp is gea ed owa ds
spi i ed e o s by bo h sexes, o s uggle agains he nega i e, opp essi e, exploi a i e and ha m ul
ado- eligious, socio-cul u al and socie al belie s and p ac ices ha a e known o ha e been obs acles
o he ull ealiza ion o he po en ials o he omen o e ime.
This de elopmen opens up he ques in o he ep esen a ion o emale cha ac e s di e en ly
om wha used o be he case. Thus, he eme gen oles as a e assigned he women cha ac e s ga e ise
o a new chap e in No he n Nige ia no els, pa icula ly hose o he wo au ho s his s udy is
conce ned wi h. The de elopmen in hei wo ks clea ly demons a es hei explo a ion in o he
ideology o eminism ha is p ima ily conce ned wi h he emancipa ion o he women olk.
Feminism as a li e a y heo y is a wo ldwide ideology commonly employed in gende
discou se. I is a e m belie ed o ha e been coined by a F ench Philosophe , Cha les Fou ie in 1837.
Ne e heless, i s usage oday is no limi ed o he Wes e n Wo ld. I has been emb aced wo ldwide
hough wi h modi ica ions as may be occasioned by cul u al and economic eali ies o he emb acing
na ions and socie ies.
Joseph 2003 asse s ha : eminism is a wo ldwide ideological and poli ical mo emen di ec ed
a changing he exis ing powe ela ions be ween men and women in a pa ia chal socie y” (p. 161).
Simila ly, Balogun (2007) submi s ha :
Feminism is an a emp by he women olk o uni e sally libe a e i sel
om male chau inism and pa ia chy. While he shi is no in ended o
cause gende e o ism, i aims a making he posi ion o women a home,
a wo k, a school, in he s ee , e c. mo e challenging o hemsel es and
hei men- olk in he social phenomenon... .Because o i s in e es in social
issues, eminism, like Ma xism, is his o ical, poli ical and i p oposes a
dynamic ideological commi men . (p. 204).
I is ob ious ha owning o a numbe o ac o s, eminism has been gi en colou a ions. We oday ha e
e ms like “Wes e n Feminism”, “A ican Feminism”, “Radical Feminism”, “Pos -Feminism”, as
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shades o he eminis ’ li e a y heo y. No wi hs anding, one hing peculia o eminism is i s cen ali y
on add essing he imbalances in gende issues as hey a ec he women olk.
To explo e in o his ole, Joseph (2007) submi s ha “ eminism s a ed wi h women mo emen s
in he l960s wi h exhibi ions o depic he skills o women in a ious disciplines” (pp. 192-193).
Howe e , wi h ime, his g adually ea u ed he exhibi ion o conce ed e o s o show ha he women
a e human beings wi h igh s, capabili ies and capaci ies o exhibi ion o equal po en ials like hei
men- olk.
The idea behind he o egoing is o c ea e an oppo uni y o p each he need o women o be
ea ed wi h deco um, espec and digni y. This uncommon mo ing oice is can assed in he no els
and o he li e a y wo ks ha we now ha e. Indeed, hese con empo a y wo ks ea u e he ep esen a ion
o emale cha ac e s playing oles uncommon o he women in ea lie wo ks. This esounding
b eak h ough by he au ho s owe a lo o he heo y o eminism ha allows o he in oduc ion o a
new end in he li e a y wo ks ha began o hi eading shel es as om I 970s ill da e.
This de elopmen enla ges he mo emen o women libe a ion. Pa icula ly as obse ed by
Joseph (2007) hus:
… eminis s no longe discuss mino i ies and disad an aged g oups. They
now ocus discou se on he concep s o ma ginali y o debunk he
iden i ica ion o he ma gin (women) wi e il and he cen e (men) wi h
good. Jus like he pos -colonial au ho s w o e on me opolis o ew o e
hei mas e s’ na a i es, pos - eminis s o he ma gins also w i e
collec i ely, speaking o o on behal o a g oup a he han indi iduals
in o de o pos ula e a change in he pa ia chal sys em such ha will
make bo h sexes o be app ecia ed o hei wo h. (p. 195).
As i is wi hin he pu iew o ou s udy, ou in e es is on an app aisal o conce ns o he cu en
No he n Nige ia no elis s as dis inc om ea lie wo ks o a ha p omo e pa ia chs. Recen wo ks
now eac di e en ly o he old adi ion o women subjuga ion by he men. Hence, ou choice o
Abubaka Gimba’s Sac ed Apples (1994) and Zaynab Alkali’s Cobwebs and o he s o ies (1997) o
jus i y he in luence o eminism as a dynamic ideological commi men o he ac ualiza ion and
ealiza ion o he ad ancemen : o egali a ianism, conse a ism and adical esponses in he women
cha ac e s as opposed o he idea o men’s supe io i y ha domina es a numbe o ea lie wo ks o
No he n Nige ia li e a y w i e s.
Zaynab Alkali’s P esen a ion o Women in Cobwebs and O he S o ies (1997)
Qui e a numbe o women w i e s’ o li e a y wo ks in English in No he n Nige ia a e
Uni e si y g adua es, ma ied and wi h lou ishing ca ee p ospec s. Zaynab Alkali is one o such
emale w i e s and is abou he mos celeb a ed o he emale w i e s om No he n Nige ia. She holds
Deg ee o Doc o o Philosophy (PhD) in A ican Li e a u e om Baye o Uni e si y, Kano and is a
P o esso o A ican Li e a u e in he Depa men o English, Uni e si y o Maidugu i, Bo no S a e,
Nige ia. She has a numbe o w i en no els in English o he c edi .
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Zaynab Alkali is a p oduc o socie y and he e o e canno be sepa a ed om he socie y. As an
A ican woman w i ing abou A ican women, he wo ks a e in a way condi ioned by he na u e, cul u e
and belie s o e ime. This p obably can explain why he b and o eminism some c i ics may ad oca e
o may no necessa ily be appa en ly isible in he wo ks.
This no wi hs anding, he no els o Zaynab Alkali ha e cen e ed on s o ies ha i mly sugges
he modes s ides as a passiona e ad oca e o adical change in he ways and manne ha men ega d
and beha e owa ds women in No he n Nige ia.
A s a emen a he back co e o Zaynab Alkali’s Cobwebs and O he S o ies gi es a i id
summa y o he no el as i eads hus:
The Cobwebs and O he S o ies is Zaynab Alkali’s ou h majo wo k. I
is a collec ion o Six S o ies, o a ying leng hs, in which she in oduces
us o some salien ea u es and dominan alues o he socie y in wind-
swep ,semi-a id, No h-Eas e n Nige ia, Land o ancien Bo nu Empi e.
Human ela ionships and oibles a e handled wi h g ea sensi i i y and
composi ion, wi h gende issues coming o he o e. (Cobwebs… 1997-
back co e )
Simila ly, Jowi (1997) in an a icle i led “B ushing he Cobwebs o Ou Eyes” in he “New
Nige ia Newspape ” on Zaynab Alkali’s Cobweb and O he S o ies says ha :
The six s o ies hough w i en a di e en imes possess a common heme,
each de eloping a a ia ion. In each, a woman o independen mind and
eeling s i es o come o e ms wi h complexi y; usually he ha shness
o expe ience she unde goes is encoun e . In ac , i is ha d no o eel
ha we a e mee ing he same woman, whose poin o iew domina es
each s o y. In all bu one o he s o ies, he cen al igu e is ma ied, bu
in h ee o hem, “The Cobwebs”, “The House o Dus ”, and “Sal less
Ash”, he c ucial expe ience is loneliness and despai ha esul when
he ma iage p o es, om he poin o iew a ailu e. (p.13).
The i s s o y “The Cobwebs” cen es on he expe iences o he p o agonis iden i ied as Mama.
A he ime o he in oduc ion, she is al eady wen y h ee yea s old emale cha ac e whose a ails
in he no el a e o e whelming. She ocuses on issues o sel - ealiza ion and a ainmen o eedom and
libe a ion o women om all inhibi ions. Mama is ma ied o Aliyu no by choice bu by he ac ha
as a woman, she had no igh o choose who husband would be. The socie y as she says decides o he
woman. This can be a es ed o by he exp ession: “In Be a, woman did no ha e o hink, he man
always did he hinking o mankind” (p. 17). Aliyu is hi y h ee yea s old, ma ied o ano he wi e
wi h a dozen o child en om se e al mo he s. He has no known job and one wonde s wha Mama, a
uni e si y s uden is doing ma ied o his man i no o injunc ions o eligious and socie al belie s.
Mama ini ially was o ead medicine in he Uni e si y bu on he o de s o Aliyu she had o
ead educa ion. While in school, Mama ge s in ol ed wi h a boy iend called Imam despi e he
ma iage o Aliyu. This de elopmen looks wes e n and alien o he cul u e bu as i is, ha seems o
be he only sou ce o succou o Mama who is w ecked in he o e zealousness o he es anged
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husband. No wonde we ha e Mama on e u ning o school wi h moun ain o p oblems om he
husband, going o see Imam as accoun ed o in he no el hus:
Mama isi s Imam in he hos el o counselling ... she c ied as she ne e
did in a long ime. And consequen ly, ega dless o he ma iage bond,
Imam d aw he in o his a ms.... They we e close, close han any o hem
could emembe , close and alone. Slowly and gen ly, he ocked he o
and o un il he ea s ceased. Jus as slowly he eased he head un o he
g oo e o his a ms un il hey bo h el com o able, pe haps oo
com o able on he long so se ee. (p. 40).
I is ob ious ha Zaynab Alkali p esen s Mama and e en ually, Ladi (he sis e ) as emale
cha ac e s who ha e aken up he eminis ideology o add ess hei pligh . She shows Mama on he
cou se o women libe a ion as she chooses o all in lo e wi h Imam and go o Ladi’s place ins ead o
he ma imonial home. The discussion a Ladi’s place also shows ha Ladi who had o d op ou o
school o ma y he husband is exp essing a di e en iew as she sax s: 1 no longe asked o laugh e
o a kind wo d om a husband. Fo me, ecen ly, sis e , wha is happiness bu a oo o e my head and
ood o ea ? (p. 53).
This libe a ion ins inc as we a e o see in Ladi’s hinking makes way o he o esol e ha
a e he Idda, she would go o Lale i and join a sewing ins i u e o aining and he ea e become
gain ully employed. She is de e mined o make i in li e so ha no man would conside he a bu den
any mo e. In he o he s o ies, we a e in oduced o Maaya, a de o ed woman whose “en i e li e was
de o ed o he wel a e o his (Abdu-zak-he husband) amily” (p. 61). Un o una ely, Abdu-zak keeps
ano he amily and a dea h lea es Maaya in despai as na a ed in he s o y The House o Dus ” and
libe a e hemsel es om p ac ices ha ha e con inued o e ime o place hem subjec i ely unde men
domina ion.
Abubaka Gimba’s P esen a ion o Women in Sac ed Apples (1994)
Abubaka Gimba hails om Nige S a e. He is an economis by aining and emains one social
scien is who has ound himsel in he li e a y scene. His no els a e in no doub ami1ia wo ks o
many eade s and c i ics. To many li e a y a is s, he wo ks o Abubaka Gimba can be anked as one
o he mos au hen ic oices om No he n Nige ia. Tha his home s a e go e nmen ecognizes his
e o s a li e a y de elopmen and ea u es pla o m discou se in his honou a he Muazu Babangida
Ali u (MBA) In e na ional Li e a y Colloquium eadily es i ies o his accep ance as a model.
As s a ed ea lie , eminism is no an exclusi e p ese e o he emale au ho s. The e a e in he
eminis camp a numbe o male w i e s who a e conce ned wi h he in e es s and conce ns o he
women olk. I he pa amoun in e es o he eminis w i e is o upli he s a us and oles o omen,
hen Abubaka Gimba could be coun ed in he o e on o eminis w i e s,mo e so, o he No he n
Nige ia ex ac ion.
Abubaka Gimba has o his c edi a numbe o no els. He exposes in his no el Sac ed Apples
(1994) his conce n o he women olk. The dedica ion o he wo k shows his conce n o he in e es
o he women. Thus, his dedica ion no e eads:
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VOLUME 8, NUMBER 1, JULY, 2024 : BEYOND BABEL: BU JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, AND HUMANITIES
Fo my mo he and womankind ha she ep esen s, who know wha he
pains and joys o mo he hood and wi ehood as well as hose who
app ecia e hei womanhood!
The no el Sac ed Apples is a cons uc i e hough ul s o y o a p o agonis – Zah ah. This is
one woman in sea ch o ue iden i y in mode n socie y. She is b u ally challenged by he issues o
asse ing he independence, eedom, ma iage li e and ul illmen in li e. These challenging issues se
he woman in sea ch o solu ions o he pligh as agains he adi ional esigna ion o he pe pe ual
s a e o docili y and inac i eness ha he women olk a e known o . To ha e a woman challenge he
s a e o a male domina ed wo ld is an abe a ion ha owes i s oo o eminism.
Zah ah is educa ed and a med wi h a Uni e si y deg ee bu ma ied o Yazid Awwal who does
no show ou igh ly any signi ican disposi ion ha can be conside ed supe io o ha o his li e. The
ma iage las s o six yea s wi h h ee child en. Fo easons ha ha e o do wi h he adi ional posi ion
o men, we a e o see Yazid di o ce Zah ah. A he ime o he c isis, i is Zah an ha demons a es
ma u i y as we can see Yazid exp ess in Sac ed Apples (1994) ha by gi ing his ca o con ey he ex-
wi e and he child en o he g andmo he , he is bu doing a g ea a ou , he said, because o he child en,
his child en” (p. 6).
Zah ah is p esen ed as a cha ac e wi h a highe sense o judgmen as she does no e en wan
he child en o know ha all was no well wi h he pa en s:
She didn’ wan any mo e hea ed a gumen s wi h he man. Besides, she
had lea n ha he cou se o peace is bes se ed while in dispu e wi h
men i you le hem emain on hei high ho ses (p. 6)
As i he oubles we e no mind dis u bing enough, we can see he esponse o Umaymah, he
elde daugh e , when she sensed some ouble as she says: “He’s no happy; ha is all”, “Because we
a e going away lea ing him behind” (p. 7). Indeed, he uncommon s oic disposi ion as eco ded in he
easons why she has o smile o con ince he daugh e ha all is well wi h he pa en s is acco ding o
he , because: “Child en mus ne e be made wi nesses o he sou ing o pa en al in imacies” (p. 8).
Zah ah is no o be ca ied away by he ac ha as a woman, she has o depend on ano he
pe son, pa icula ly man, o asse he being. This we ha e demons a ed in he encoun e wi h he
demons a o s and hoodlums as he d i e d i es hem home. E en a he shou s o “Kill hem...! Bu n
he bloody ca ! ...”, (p. 13) she does no gi e up on he child en as she pulls hem close o he sel like
a hen, he chicks in he ace o a h ea ening eagle (p. 13). He encoun e wi h Dan Easke ha nea ly
esul ed in a ape is a e ed by he eso o spi i uali y - p aye s.
As adi ional as he g andmo he is, we can see he p aying o econcilia ion bu Zah ah sees
his di e en ly. This acco ding o Zah ah is beyond edemp ion because Yazid has igno an ly and o
o pu poses o lack o in-dep h knowledge o Islamic p ecep s made h ee p onouncemen s on he
ma e o di o ce. Thus, ins ead o con empla ing going o econcilia ion, we see Zah ah obse ing
he h ee mon hs wai ing pe iod (Iddah) be o e libe a ing he sel ully and aking up a job acili a ed
by he b o he Ya Sha ee .
