A Study of Intersectionality in Abulhawa’s Against the Loveless World

Abstract

This paper examines the intersectional oppression experienced by Palestinian women in Susan Abulhawa’s novel Against the Loveless World. Through the lens of Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of Intersectionality, the research identifies how the protagonist, Nahr, navigates various forms of oppression throughout her journey. Nahr confronts injustices symbolized by the ‘Cube,’ a metaphor for the Israeli Solitary cell where she spends years incarcerated. Her quest for identity, survival, and love takes her across Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine – all places marked by Middle Eastern patriarchies, war, and racial xenophobia. Nahr’s experiences include being forced into an arranged marriage in Kuwait, working as a sexual escort in US-occupied Iraq, living as a refugee in Jordan, and ultimately becoming a prisoner in Palestine. This trajectory underscores the intersectionality of her struggle, where her gender, Arabian roots, and transnational relocations intersect to expose her to a harsh world dominated by military fascists, religious bigots, and cultural anarchists. This paper argues that Crenshaw’s Intersectionality theory highlights the multi-layered forms of discrimination faced by women, including the historical phallocentric domination rooted in essentialist gender binaries, as well as the cultural exclusivity perpetuated by Middle Eastern patriarchy. Against the Loveless World thus serves as a compelling narrative illustrating the complexities of women’s oppression and resistance within intersecting systems of power and discrimination.