Volume : 5, Issue : 4, April - 2016

WOMEN IN THE NOVELS OF TAHAR BEN JELLOUN (IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SAND CHILD & THE SACRED NIGHT)

Calaivanane. R

Abstract :

<p>&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;nbsp;A woman and her role were among the most debated issues during the mid 20thcentury. Tahar Ben Jelloun, one of the prominent figures of francophone literature and a realist writer, portrays the realities of the Moroccan society. He stands apart from other writers because of the way he portrays women in his works. His works portray the image of woman as a reflection of society. Tahar Ben Jelloun through his works constantly depicts women of the Arab-Muslim society because he feels that change in the Maghreb will come about only through the actions of women. Tahar Ben Jelloun gives voice to the victims of social injustice. He projects the status of women in a male dominated society. The women abide by the rules imposed on them by the males under whose protection they live. His sensitiveness to all forms of injustice and oppression can be seen in both these novels. In these novels, he calls for women&amp;amp;rsquo;s emancipation and his determination to present women&amp;amp;rsquo;s voices. In the novels &amp;amp;lsquo;The Sand Child&amp;amp;rsquo; and &amp;amp;lsquo;The Sacred Night&amp;amp;rsquo; he introduces the theme of women in Islamic society. The story is presented in the form of traditional oral tale, where the author tackles the problems of women in the Islamic society and exposes their lack of freedom. In these works, Tahar Ben Jelloun shows in his own way that gender is a social construction in an orthodox Arab Society. In &amp;amp;lsquo;The Sand Child&amp;amp;rsquo;, the novelist questions the notion of gender, and in the sequel he takes one step further into the problematic realm of gender and sexuality, drawing out the physical and mental violence that the characters face. Women have been the victims of men&amp;amp;rsquo;s dominance for ages and that is why Tahar Ben Jelloun depicts women as the symbol of Moroccan individual.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</p>