Dualism and the Relational Self in Ghada Al-Samman’s “No Sea in Beirut”: An Ecofeminist Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33806/ijaes1015Keywords:
domination, dualism, ecofeminism, other, relationalityAbstract
By reading Ghada Al-Samman’s “No Sea in Beirut” (1963) from an ecofeminist perspective, the current study argues that the story challenges the dualism behind the domination of women and nature and instead advocates the development of a relational self that acknowledges the interconnectedness and interdependence between humans and nature. The female protagonist’s domination in the patriarchal Damascene society, in which her partner, Ayman, strives to confine her to the domestic sphere, is analogized to the domination of the sea, which is fenced and privatized under the pretext of development. It is posited that the female protagonist and the sea are constructed as the other because of dualism, and thus their domination is unjustly sanctioned. This study also examines the concerted efforts of the female protagonist to dismantle dualism and develop the relational self. By crossing the fence into the privatized area of the sea, the female protagonist connects with it and thus secures freedom for both herself and the sea, declaring that only through this connection can all individuals—and the sea—be liberated. Therefore, it is concluded that Al-Samman’s story promotes the existence of a just world for all beings, and this is determined by human behavior.
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