# Gender Roles and Patriarchy in Veiled Women

> Theme guide for Veiled Women by Marmaduke Pickthall.

The narrative examines the strict gender hierarchies in 19th-century Egyptian society, including polygamy, seclusion of women in the harem, and the limited agency women have, while also showing their subtle forms of resistance and solidarity.

## Where it surfaces

- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/i): The story of Noah's flood and the crow highlights women's historical subordination and desire for agency in marriage, while the household conflict over Yûsuf's marriage reflects patriarchal control.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/iii): Murjânah advises the Pasha to beat Fitnah, citing Quranic authority, reinforcing patriarchal control over women.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/v): The Pasha's protective measures and the dowry system reflect patriarchal control over women's lives, even as he claims to act as a father to the orphaned governess.
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/vi): The chapter explores the justification of female seclusion as a sacred duty, the lack of autonomy for women like Gulbeyzah, and the underlying threat of violence (e.g., the plot to lure Barakah).
- [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/viii): Fitnah's powerlessness to stop the wedding despite her anguish, and her reliance on secretive, indirect means (sorcery) reflect the constraints placed on women in a patriarchal society.
- [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/ix): The wedding ceremony objectifies Barakah as a passive bride, subject to the scrutiny and control of the harem and her husband.
- [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/x): Yûsuf's emotional outburst and the Pasha's decisive handling of the crisis illustrate male authority and the prescribed roles of men as protectors and decision-makers.
- [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/xii): Barakah's vulnerability in public space and Yûsuf's violent reaction upon her return underscore the patriarchal control over women's mobility and behavior.
- [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/xiii): Yûsuf's rage and physical punishment of Barakah, along with her confinement, underscore the patriarchal control over women's movements and actions.
- [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/xvi): The men's freedom to explore Paris contrasts with the women's confinement, and the fight over Barakah underscores male possessiveness.
- [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/xvii): The men's freedom to explore Paris contrasts with the women's confinement and fear; the Prince's defense of the harem system underscores patriarchal control.
- [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/xx): Hamdi is scolded and threatened with marriage by his mother; the harem women's movements are restricted and they travel in a procession behind the men.
- [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/xxvii): Yûsuf Bey unilaterally decides to remove Muhammad from Barakah's care, asserting paternal authority over the child's upbringing.
- [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/chapters/xxix): The harem women are politically apathetic due to seclusion, yet they passionately debate and influence their children's views, while Barakah is confined to domestic life.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/themes/gender_roles_and_patriarchy
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/veiled_women_se/themes