Sandra Cisneros\'s \"Eyes Zapata,\" Zakaria Tamer\'s \"Sheep,\"

Sandra Cisneros's "Eyes Zapata," Zakaria Tamer's "Sheep," Nawal al-Saadawi's "In Camera," Hanan

The predominant similarity between Sandra Cisneros's short story, "Eyes of Zapata," and Nawal al-Saadawi's "In Camera," is that both narratives deal with the oppression of women who fail to conform to the limited roles that society constructs for their gender. Such oppression takes many forms in each of these tales. In Cisneros' story, the protagonist is ravaged by both the effects of war and the repercussions it produces for her husband, a military leader. In al-Saadawi's narrative, the protagonist is both physically and intellectually persecuted in very overt, gruesome methods. An examination of both of these works reveals the fact that due to the nature of the oppression the lead character endures in Cisneros' writing, this tale is unequivocally a love story, whereas the nature of the oppression endured by the protagonist in al-Saadawi's story reveals that it is more political in nature.

One of the principle points of commonality that exist within both narratives is that they take place within patriarchal societies. The setting for Cisneros' work is war torn Mexico, a fact which assists in the oppression of the main character, Ines. Ines' husband has a salient position in the military and, since there is a war taking place within this country, is widely regarded by other women. Additionally, his occupational responsibilities require lengthy periods in which he is away from Ines, despite the fact that the pair has two children together. The result is that Ines' lover not only physically and emotionally neglects her, but he also has sexual relationships (even resulting in children), with myriads of other women. The following quotation both alludes to this fact and to the degree of oppression Ines must endure while accepting the fact that there is little she can do to have her lover solely to herself.

These stupid country girls, how can they resist you? The magnificent Zapata in his elegant charro costume, riding a splendid horse…You're not a man for them: you're a legend, a myth, a god. But you are as well my husband. Albeit only sometimes (Cisneros 100).

The most significant aspect about this quotation is that it details the mental anguish Ines goes through while enduring the physical absence of her husband -- and his dearth of fidelity. Yet it is interesting to note that the context that this form of oppression takes place is due to a patriarchal society in which men, especially military men, are allowed to take a multitude of women for their pleasure. As such, Ines is oppressed by a society which tolerates and reinforces such a patriarchy, as it pertains to her heart and to the man she loves. Thus, it is clear that her specific form of persecution relates to her romantic interest, which is why "Eyes of Zapata" is a love story.

By contrast, the central theme in a-Saadawi's work is the repression of women not for pleasure or romantic reasons, but for political ones. The oppression that the main character, Leila, endures in this piece is hard to bear. Set within the confines of Egypt, it is difficult to discern which form of subjugation is worse for Leila -- the intellectual or the physical one. From a broader perspective one may posit that the former is; such a fact is readily underscored by the central element of the plot in which Leila is on trial for her life because she dared to slander (or insult the intelligence) of the President by calling him stupid. The sheer audacity that such a trifling remark could have upon the impact of a woman's life attests to the fact that in the world of al-Saadawi's writing, women are supposed to look pretty and keep quiet. The subsequent quotation, in which Leila's father ponders her past and fate while observing her trial, suitably illustrates this point.

He had neither name nor existence. What is left of a man whose honor is violated? He had told her bitterly: Politics, my girl, is not for women and girls. But she had not listened to him. If she had been a man, he would not be suffering now the way he was (al-Saadawi 3006).

This passage is key because it shows the extent of the intellectual oppression that women are subjected to in this work of literature. Leila's own father agrees with the rest of the patriarchal society. He is aware that she has been tortured and mistreated simply because she opined negatively about a political figure…and he agrees with the torturers and the political/social system which propagates the notion that women should keep quiet -- especially about politics. Leila's father not only regrets what she did by voicing her opinion, he even regrets the fact that she is a woman. Clearly, this passage indicates the political nature of this novel and the intellectual form of repression women are subject to, since they are not even allowed to say what they think.

In Cisneros' tale, even the political activities that affect the protagonist and the others in the area she lives are inherently related to her relationship with her lover. As a citizen living in a country in which there is war, there is very little that Ines can do to protect herself -- especially with her husband gone, fighting that war, and cavorting with other women at night. Therefore, it is important to realize that the author largely describes the ravages of war in terms that relate to women, to their oppression, and to the effect of such oppression on their ability to love. The following quotation, in which the author describes the fate of women within Mexico during war, demonstrates this point handily. "The federales, the caciques, one as bad as the other, stealing our hens, stealing the women at night. What howls the women would let go when they carried them off… (Cisneros 103)." This passage is indicative of the physical subjugation that women endured in Cisneros' tale. They are viewed as spoils of war, to be taken upon demand. This quote is poignant since it alludes to acts of infidelity, the likes of which Cisneros' husband more than likely is committing with other women. Therefore, even when discussing how the conditions of war oppress women, the author does so within a context in which the heartbreak of the protagonist is evident.