Pillars Of Salt Fadia Faqir Pdf Download
Pillars of Salt by Fadia Faqir: A Novel of Arab Women's Struggles
Pillars of Salt is a novel by Fadia Faqir, a Jordanian writer who writes in English. The novel was first published in 1996 and has been translated into several languages. The novel tells the stories of two women, Maha and Umm Saad, who are confined in a mental hospital in Jordan in the 1940s. Through their narratives, the novel explores the themes of gender, colonialism, nationalism, and identity in the Arab world.
Summary of the Novel
The novel alternates between the first-person accounts of Maha and Umm Saad, who are both patients in a mental hospital. Maha is a Bedouin woman who was married to Harb, a landowner and nationalist leader. She witnessed the British invasion of her village, the death of her husband and son, and the betrayal of her brother-in-law. Umm Saad is a peasant woman who was married to a soldier who fought for the British. She suffered from domestic violence, poverty, and infertility. She also lost her husband and son in the war.
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The two women meet in the hospital and share their stories with each other. They also interact with other patients, such as Um Qasem, a former prostitute who claims to be a princess; Abu Azzam, a former teacher who believes he is a prophet; and Abu Ziad, a former soldier who suffers from shell shock. The novel also includes flashbacks to the women's childhoods, their marriages, and their experiences during the war.
Analysis of the Novel
Pillars of Salt is a novel that challenges the stereotypes and oppression of Arab women. The novel portrays the women as strong, resilient, and rebellious characters who resist the patriarchal and colonial forces that try to control their lives. The novel also exposes the contradictions and conflicts within the Arab society, such as the clash between tradition and modernity, rural and urban, and national and foreign.
The novel uses the motif of spinning as a symbol of female empowerment. Spinning is an ancient art that was associated with goddesses and fate in many mythologies. In the novel, Maha spins a carpet that represents her life story and her identity. She also uses spinning as a way of coping with her trauma and expressing her emotions. Spinning also connects Maha with Umm Saad, who teaches her how to spin cotton. Through spinning, the women create a bond of friendship and solidarity.
The novel also uses the metaphor of pillars of salt to represent the women's fate. The title refers to the biblical story of Lot's wife, who turned into a pillar of salt after looking back at the burning city of Sodom. In the novel, Maha and Umm Saad are also turned into pillars of salt after witnessing the destruction of their homes and families by war and violence. However, unlike Lot's wife, who was punished for her curiosity, Maha and Umm Saad are victims of injustice and oppression. Their stories are meant to be remembered and retold, not forgotten or silenced.
How to Download the Novel
If you are interested in reading Pillars of Salt by Fadia Faqir, you can download it for free from [this link]. This is an online archive that provides free access to books and other materials that are in the public domain or have been donated by authors or publishers. You can choose to read the novel online or download it in PDF or EPUB format.
You can also find more information about the novel and its author from [this link]. This is an academic paper that analyzes the role of spinning in the novel as an instrument of female empowerment. You can download it in PDF format or read it online.
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