1

The Patriarchy and Tribe in Wajdi Al-Ahdal's Novel A Land without Jasmine

  • Nada Ezzadeen Al-Osime مؤلف

Abstract

This research aims to explore the intricate relationship between patriarchy and the tribe in Wajdi Al-Ahdal's Novel A Land without Jasmine, arguing that the tribe functions as the primary executive arm of patriarchy. This research begins by establishing the theoretical frameworks of patriarchy and tribe, highlighting their symbiotic reinforcement, particularly within the Yemeni society. The analysis is structured into two main parts. First, it examines patriarchal system within the family, focusing on the psychological surveillance imposed by Jasmine’s brother, father, and even her mother, demonstrating how the system is internalized and perpetuated by both men and women. Second, it analyzes the tribe's role as the ultimate enforcer of the patriarchal honor code, superseding state law. Key narrative events, such as Jasmine's disappearance and the brutal murder of Ali, are investigated as case studies. The findings confirm that the tribe provides the coercive power necessary to maintain a patriarchal social order, enforcing its ideology through violence and intimidation. The research concludes that the novel serves as a powerful critique of the mechanisms of control that sustain gender inequality, recommending future research into forms of resistance against this deeply entrenched system.

Keywords

Sheikh of the Tribe Masculine Dominance Yemeni society Honor Violence

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References (12)

  1. Reference:
  2. Al-Ahdal, W. (2008). A Land without Jasmine (William M. Hutchins, Trans, 1st ed.). Garnet Publishing. (2012).
  3. Al-Haidari, I. (2003). Alnizam al'abawi wa'iishkaliat aljins eind alarab, The Patriarchal System and the Problem of Sex among Arabs, Dar AlSaqi, Lebanon.
  4. Al-Haidari, I.(2016). Al-Haymana Al-Abawiyya Al-Dhakuriyya fi Al-Mujtama' wa Al-Sulta. Patriarchal Male Hegemony in Society and Authority. Sociological Papers. http://iraqieconomists.net/ar/
  5. Al-Osime, N. E. (2024). Hegemonic Masculinity and its Manifestations in Wajdi Al-Ahdal's Novel A Land without Jasmine, Arts for Linguistic & Literary Studies, 6(4): 672 -689. https://doi.org/10.53286/arts.v6i4.2203
  6. Al-Osime, N. E. (2025). Forms of violence against women in the Novel A Land without Jasmine, Journal of Arts, 13(2), 920 -937. https://doi.org/10.35696/joa.v13i2.2567
  7. Al-Sharjabi, A. et al. (2009). Al-Qasir wa al-Diwan: Al-Dawr al-Siyassi lil-Qabilah fi al-Yaman, The Palace and the Diwan: The political role of the tribe in Yemen. Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights.
  8. Crone, P. (1986). The Tribe and the States, J. A. Hall, (Ed.), States in History. Ch2, 48-77. Basil Blackwell.
  9. Godelier, M. (2015) Les tribus dans l'histoire et face aux E'tats. (Khalil Bro, Trans; 1st ed). Dar al-Farabi. Beirut.
  10. Johnson, A. G. (2005). The Gender Knot: Unraveling our patriarchal legacy. Temple University Press.
  11. Misra, K. (2008). Tribe. In W. A. Darity, Jr. (Ed.), International encyclopedia of the social sciences (2nd ed., Vol. 8, pp. 449-451). Macmillan Reference USA.
  12. Walby, S. (1991). Theorizing Patriarchy. Blackwell.

Similar Articles

1-10 of 164

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.