The Somali Women’s Desire of Attaining Freedom in Nuruddin Farah Novels

The woman that as a girl from different background with no experience gave her a new perspective on world. A girl was not given a globe to describe the world to dream. She is not offered toys but with the broken clay pots to play with and the bone to dress like dolls. A women’s hand is exchanged for money without her permission. A woman is sold to someone in the name of marriage.

Marriage has become a ritual and a business which is more than an emotional bonding between a husband and a wife. A woman has become a property when she is exchanged for money. This situation in clearly examines in this dissertation with an evidence of Tiffo’s marriage with Ebla is an exchange of money for a woman.

The nomadic tradition and culture excuses her from threatening but she is scared when the lifestyle changes from the familiar pattern to the unfamiliar pattern. She accepts the pattern of behavior she knows by accepting it. Women are prohibited from participating in the political discussions. She challenges the customary and religious practices while struggling against the notions of patriarchy.

The traditional women oppose their sons when they started to support their wives. The responsibilities undertaken by daughter-in-laws like handling money, owning a property and managing the business were not liked by the mother-in-laws. They actively oppose daughters who inherit the western or foreign culture.

The traditional women don’t encourage such actions like taking pills to prevent pregnancy, a woman owning the property, not married and being single, and opposing the tradition and customs in Somali society. This attitude of the traditional women shows their nature of suppressed and these are the qualities of the weaker sex asserted by Nuruddin Farah.

The women who looks after the change in the social status of women and also she will not leave behind the traditions that she used to follow since childhood. She is the most difficult women in the Somali society by analyzing her change in the present and her life in the past. These women question the suppression against women and other customary practices that is harmful. She even oppose the traditional Islamic practices not considering the consequences.

The strong desire of attaining freedom is one of the main propositions of the women in the Somaliland. Ebla is a woman from nomadic background but she had a unique thought of self-liberation from the pastoral community and the conventions they follow.

Her strong desire to live her life emerges to take bold decisions in her life and it gave the strength to face the problems that helps her to undergo difficult situation with courage. The two women helped Ebla to survive the hardest situation in her life. The widow helped her to escape for the marriage that was arranged by her cousin Gheddi. Also her elopement with her nephew, Awill is supported by her.

Another woman named Asha who had been a great support to her when is financially weak and she also saved her life when Tiffo’s wife, Ardo, came to kill her. She taught her to live her life without depending the men. The encouragement given by both the ladies boosted her life up with courage, liberation and suppression free life.

Medina, who is the protagonist of the novel fought against various issues. First she fought against the issue of female circumcision. Primarily she started this opposition from her home by saying that her daughter should not be circumcised. Finally she started to work for all the female children who are existing and going to come to this world.

Secondarily, she had an issue with the state dictatorship. She found that they are doing illegal activities against the people of Somalia. Her fight against the dictatorship kindled the Ego of the government officials. Position does matter when expressing the illegal activities. So she got fired from her job.

Thirdly, the rape case of Amina was a sensation and the criminals who spoiled her life are set free and are not punished for their crime. Position is the main thing that is acting as a vital role to suppress the people under their control.

In From a Crooked Rib there are more of personal thoughts and female sufferings few characters that engages the reader throughout the novel. But in Sardines the social and political issues are mainly focused and that gives the reader much information about Syad Barre’s regime after the colonial period.