Divorce

Throughout Palace Walk, we witness a lot of sexual tension, an urge for marriage, and divorce between both young adults and adults. Divorce is the one topic that really stands out. Ahmad has already divorce his first wife and then he throws Amina, his second wife, out the house for some time also. If a couple is not actually divorce, but separated for some time. What is she to the family?

When Yasin goes to his father, Ahmad, to tell him that his mother is going to re-marry, Ahmad is shock and angry towards the situation. He tells Yasin, “Didn't we vow to consider her a person who never existed”(107). From Ahmad point of view after divorce, an ex-wife is nothing. In fact, he act as if she never even existed. But, according to Yasin, she will always be his mother and be could no forget the fact she still exist. When Ahmad throws Amina out the house, her mom refers to her as a stranger. The narrator says the following paragraph below, when describing what Amina's mother thought about the temporary separation.

When the old lady found her silent or sensed that her daughter's thoughts were wandering, she would tell her, “Patience, Amina. I fell sorry for you. A mother away from her children is a stranger. She's a stranger even if she's staying in the house where she was born” (231).

Amina's mother says she feels sorry for her and that at long as she is away from home, she is consider a stranger. Amina is being referred to as a stranger, even though she is not officially divorce. But, according to her mother and mother who lives outside her husband house is consider a stranger no matter what. A stranger is somebody that you don't know exist. Some one you know nothing of, similar to what Ahmad thinks about his first wife. But, its her children that cannot let go of her. To them she will always exsit. Why is it that divorced mothers or mothers who live outside the house are considered bad? Is it an older generation view? To Ahmad and Amina's mother a wife out the house is nothing, but the children can't seem to let go of there mother, whether bad or good.

CNN reporter, Olivia Sterns, reports that when Egyptian women get divorce they are look at as being evil or something not right. She also reports that Egypt is a very male-dominate place. Being a male-dominate place, men always blame the women for all the problems. Which we see in Palace Walk. Men are in authority throughout the book; therefore, when divorce or separation is brought forth, people always wonder what the women did to cause their husband to kick them out. It is obvious throughout Palace Walk that men are in control and that they dominate the women. This causes a separation from men and women.

Another thing Olivia Sterns mentions is that divorce rate has gone up, because of women rights. In Palace Walk, women aren't allow to do multiple things. Women aren't allowed to go to school, have a job, or even rome around outside the house because it is frowned upon. With women rights, women have the right to education and employment. Therefore, women are less willing to accept an unhappy marriage. If Amina was allowed to education and employment, will she leave Ahmad?

I think that Amina would leave Ahmad is she had the right to education and employment. When Amina mother is talking to her, she say, “I feel sorry for you”(231). She said this because Amina was depressed and because Amina didn't have anything. She had nothing to hold her up. With a background educations and a job, she'll be able to support herself and keep busy. The narrator also says that even though she was raised at her mother's home, that house could not be consider her home. And with an employment she'll be able to get her own home and will be able to live without the help of Ahmad. She is not with Ahmad because she loves him, but because she has nowhere else to do or anybody to be with.

Sterns, Olivia. "'Let's Talk About Sex, Divorce' In Egypt." CNN World. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. .