Domination of Patriarchy in Saudi Arabia: a feminist reading of Rajaa Alsanea’sGirls of Riyadh

Abstract

The present research entitled “Domination of Patriarchy in Saudi Arabia: a Feminist Reading of RajaaAlsanea’sGirls of Riyadh” fore-grounds the painful situation of women in the 21st century Saudi Arabian society in the matter of love and marriage. RajaaAlsanea depicts the sorrowful condition of divorced women very clearly in the novel.Gamrah and Um Nuwayyir are compelled to live sorrowful life after their husbands deserted them without any fault of them. Likewise, Sadeem has become victims in the male dominated society. In the beginning of the novel, she was deserted by her fiancé, Waleed and later on by her lover, Firas. Similarly, Michelle’s lover, Faisal betrayed her only lack of power to question the patriarchal rules and regulations. Moreover, love between Lamees and Ali end because of the norms and values of Saudi Arabian society which did not allow meeting between a girl and a boy in the public park. Revolving around these issues, this research unfolds the main story of the novel.