Prostitution as a profession and concept has always left me ridiculously curious and confused. I remember walking the crowded streets of Waikiki beach unable to help myself from staring at the women dressed in clear heels, busily striking  up conversations with men passing by with lingering eyes. The mystery that always drew me in was trying to figure out what kind of women finds herself in this profession and how. I know the factors that lead to prostitution are not the same for everyone but I was given one woman’s story in the short novel Woman at Point Zero. This is not the typical Hollywood tale of prostitution, it is not glorified, and we know from the first page that it doesn’t end happily.   It is a unique and honeststory, written by an equally unique and honest author, Nawal El Saadawi.

Nawal El Saadawi is much more than a writer, she is a psychiatrist, a feminist, and an activist in a county where this kind of political involvement is feared and oppressed.  Her writing is a small portion of who she is and yet it is what sets her apart and defines her in her country of Egypt. Egypt’s oppressive governing body seems to fear this passionate woman who has fearlessly and truthfully tackled many taboo feminist issues in her writing.  Her outspoken and unapologetic activism has even landed her in the prisons of Egypt, and still, as if completely unfazed, she continues to raise her voice and ruffle the feathers of the establishment.

Saadawi’s strength is impressive on paper but seeing her speak, she becomes inspirational. For me, it is not necessarily because of the causes she has chosen to fight for, but instead due to her commitment to be true to herself. The woman is undeniably genuine, and refuses to have her voice silenced. Even in her older age, this grey, wiry haired elder woman has the playful grin of devilish child. She knows who she is and is able to use this strength to give a voice to those silenced by fear.

In her most well known piece Woman at Point Zero,  Sadawi sits down with Firadaus, a woman with one night left to tell her story before facing the gallows for the murder of a man.  Through blending of fiction and fact, Nawal El Saadawi fills in the gaps to show us the tragic experiences Firadous endures as she's lead away from her innocence,  put through various sexually, and physically abusive relationships. She is educated and yet she finds that this society only assigns her a monetary value and respect as a prostitute. It seems she is hurt either physically or mentally by every single person who she puts trust into. It is the men in particular that wreck havoc on this young woman’s life. I was surprisedto find that the author had such a strong and loving relationship with her father as every male character in this book is in some way repulsive. They are slovenly, greedy, abusive, hypocritical, oppressive, and completely untrustworthy.

The book is upsetting, and unsettling, and with its harsh depiction of men it is easy to see the anger it could cause in male dominant society. Saadawii's ability to create outrage, must also be the cause of awakening, not only in Egypt, but in the household of any reader where fear oppresses.

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