The Dichotomy within Masculinity in Fadia Faqir's The Cry of the Dove: A Self-Orientalist Approach

Abstract

The representation of masculinity is a prevalent theme in literary studies that critique Orientalist discourse within Western literature. This exploration often highlights the dichotomy inherent in the portrayal of masculinity, contrasting the representations of Western and Eastern men in Orientalist texts. In her article "Re-Orientalism: The Perpetration and Development of Orientalism by Orientals," Lisa Lau (2009) introduces the concepts of 're-Orientalism' and 'self-Orientalism,' arguing that Orientalist depictions are not only perpetuated in Western narratives but are also internalized within Eastern literary productions. Lau posits that writers from Eastern backgrounds frequently do not wholly reject these Orientalist narratives; instead, they engage with and occasionally affirm them, thereby reinforcing a binary opposition between the East and West in their works. Despite the relevance of this theory, the contributions of Anglophone Arab authors, such as Fadia Faqir, have not been thoroughly analyzed through the lens of Self-Orientalism. Consequently, this study seeks to investigate the representation of masculinity in Faqir's The Cry of the Dove (2007) within the framework of Self-Orientalism, with a focus on determining whether Faqir challenges or internalizes Orientalist stereotypes. This theoretical perspective suggests that Anglophone authors tend to internalize Orientalist stereotypes, constructing a dichotomy that attributes negative characteristics to Eastern individuals while ascribing positive traits to their Western counterparts. Through a detailed examination of male characters in the novel, this study reveals that Faqir internalizes these Orientalist representations, thereby establishing a contrasting portrayal of masculinity: Arab and Muslim men are depicted as lustful, cruel, and hypocritical, in stark contrast to their Western counterparts, who are characterized as respectful, tender, and virtuous.