Female Sexuality and Liberation of the Body in Contemporary Moroccan Literature: The Case of The Almond by Nedjma
Female Sexuality and Liberation of the Body in Contemporary Moroccan Literature: The Case of The Almond by Nedjma

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the treatment of female sexuality and liberation of the body in The Almond, a novel written by the Moroccan writer Nedjma. More specifically, it demonstrates how the writer defends the right of female sexuality and challenges religious prohibitions and gender inequality. Female sexuality in this context is used metaphorically as a pathway to self-discovery, emancipation, and liberation of the body as well as a powerful weapon to condemn and fight religious beliefs and cultural standards in patriarchal Moroccan society. Through the protagonist Badra, a bold and rebellious woman who refuses to abide by rigid rules and restrictions of the Moroccan patriarchal society, the novel overtly eradicates the stereotypical image of Arab and Muslim women as powerless and submissive, and portrays them as powerful not only in control of their life, but also in control of their bodies and sexuality.

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