To what extent is fate part of the protagonist in Woman at point Zero Essay

To what extent is fate part of the protagonist in Woman at point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi and Chronicle of a death foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez dictat - Essay Example In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, the moral value in question is honour, whereas in Woman at Point Zero it is attainment of power. These values determine the characters actions and thereby shape their fates: â€Å"The work of Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Chronicle of a Death Foretold reads much like a Greek tragedy in that events proceed in an unforgiving inevitability† (website). In Woman at Point Zero, the protagonist Firdaus is manipulated and dishonoured by a number of people in her life. She has no power over the events that happen to her. She gradually learns the value of power and money which enables one to gain control over others and that becomes the utmost aim in her life. "All my life I have been searching for something that would fill me with pride, make me feel superior to everyone else, including kings, princes and rulers." Her life as a prostitute provides her a source of power she wields over men. She finds that men throughout her life mistreat her and use her until eventually she kills one of them. Firdaus is manipulated by all the elders in her life. All the major decisions in her life are taken on her behalf by her elders or the men. Firdaus life becomes a resistance against her male dominated society. She never takes delight in relationships with men. She needs to be treated as equal which in no way occurs within the respectable life of an office assistant. As a prostitute Firdaus has no need to show respect toward even the most powerful of men and thus gains her own dignity and free will. In Firdaus world, men wish to subjugate women, stripping them of all of their power. In this society, a respectable woman is one that submits to a man’s will and depends upon him for protection. By rejecting these values, Firdaus claims a sense of power and freedom over those that wish to imprison her mentally. The motif of captivity is central to