Arab Diasporic Women Between Challenges and Opportunities in Al-Shaykh’s The Occasional Virgins

Abstract

This study discusses Arab diasporic women living in the ethnic communities in Western societies in Hanan Al-Shaykh’s The Occasional Virgins (2015). The novel shows how different and multiple types of oppression affect women's life and how Arab diasporic women respond to such situations. It also traces Arab women's resistance to patriarchy in their native culture and the challenges of adaptation to the new country. Furthermore, the study comes across the significant role of homeland–memory and experience in moulding Arab diasporic women's identities. Such memories are used to challenge host countries' racism and cultural stereotypes to construct true Arab female identities and rebirth, new strong Arab women.