Gender Equality: 12 Perspectives And A Male’s View

Gender Equality 12 Gender Equality and a Male’s Perspective in Leila Aboulela’s Short Stories

Leila Abdulla’s [Aboulela’s] The Ostrich “The Ostrich” (2001, 2005) is a short story about a Sudanese man living in the UK who struggles with his identity. All he wants is to be accepted by society as well as behave like them. His personal issues cause him to be harsh towards his wife at times because she is a constant reminder of his nationality and traditions as she also comes from Sudan.

Aboulela’s “The Boy from The Kebab Shop” (2001, 2005) is about two mixed-race young adults, Dina and Kaseem, and the difference in their behavior towards their traditions and religion. The story also shows the struggles Kaseem faces because of his parents' very different nationalities. The final short story I will be discussing, also by Abdulla, is “The Museum” (2001, 2005). This story is about a Nigerian [Sudanese] upper-class university student, Shadia, and her classmate Bryan. It describes Shadia’s struggles with her appearance and her views about people who come from a lower social class than she does.

This paper will describe the problems both the male and female characters in these short stories face, emphasizing that males experience self-insecurities and issues similar to women’s, challenging common gender stereotypes. In analyzing these stories, I will employ theories of masculinity, including perspectives from white masculinity and Arab/African masculinity, as well as concepts related to patriarchy, especially in relation to characters like Majdy.

Paper For Above instruction

Leila Abdulla, a renowned Sudanese writer born in Cairo in 1964, has contributed significantly to Anglophone literature through her collection Colored Lights (2001, 2005). Her upbringing, split between Egyptian and Sudanese cultures, and her academic pursuits in Statistics at Khartoum and the UK’s London School of Economics, underpin her nuanced portrayal of multicultural identities and gendered experiences (Aboulela, 2001). Her works explore themes of cultural conflict, identity, and social stratification, often highlighting the internal struggles of her characters, especially regarding gender and social expectations.

The short stories “The Ostrich,” “The Boy from The Kebab Shop,” and “The Museum” exemplify her nuanced exploration of male and female insecurities within the context of multicultural and postcolonial societies. In “The Ostrich,” Majdy’s internal conflict with his racial identity and cultural pride exemplifies the racialized self-hatred that Frantz Fanon discusses in Black Skin, White Masks (Fanon, 1952/2008). Majdy’s shame and desire to assimilate into Western modernity reflect a crisis of racial and cultural identity, compounded by societal expectations of masculinity that discourage vulnerability and emotional expression. His harsh treatment of his wife, Sumra, stems from his internalized racial shame, which manifests as external aggression—a common theme in studies of masculinity that associate emotional repression with masculinity’s toxic aspects (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005).

Fanon's theory provides a lens through which to understand Majdy’s feelings of alienation and his obsession with appearing “modern” despite his dark skin and Arab background. His refusal to accept his cultural roots aligns with Fanon’s critique of colonialism's impact on Black identity, illustrating how colonial legacies distort self-perception and gender roles (Fanon, 2008). Additionally, considering patriarchy’s influence, Majdy’s dissatisfaction with traditional African masculinity rooted in strength and stoicism influences his alienation; he perceives embracing his identity as a sign of weakness or backwardness (Keddie, 2010).

The “The Boy from The Kebab Shop” reveals the internal conflicts of Kaseem, a shy, religious boy of mixed Moroccan and Scottish heritage, and Dina, more open and culturally fluid. Kaseem’s struggle with religious adherence, coupled with his racial identity, showcases the vulnerability often suppressed by traditional masculinity models, which valorize emotional control and religious conformity. This aligns with cross-cultural masculinity theories suggesting that ethnic and religious minorities often experience identity negotiation pressures, which impact their masculinity expression (Mahalik et al., 2003).

Dina’s openness contrasts Kaseem’s reticence, illustrating gendered differences in coping with cultural expectations. Her curiosity about religion and her willingness to explore her identity demonstrate mobility within gender norms, whereas Kaseem’s hesitation reflects societal expectations of male restraint and piety. This gendered dynamic demonstrates how masculinity, especially within minority groups, involves navigating vulnerability and emotional expression—often restricted by cultural constructs (Messner, 2007).

“The Museum” introduces Shadia, a Sudanese student studying abroad, and Bryan, her Scottish classmate. Shadia’s perception of Africa as stereotypical and cold echoes postcolonial critiques of Western portrayals of Africa, which often serve imperial narratives that diminish the continent’s diversity (Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2013). Bryan’s attitude as a white Scottish man embodies Western masculinity, often associated with entitlement and racial privilege, which he is somewhat aware of when he criticizes Africa’s stereotypical image. His invitation to the museum becomes a moment of recognition, as he attempts to bridge cultural gaps, challenging the hegemonic narratives of race and class (Moore, 2004).

In this context, Bryan’s internal struggles with class, race, and his position within the racial hierarchy reflect broader societal issues faced by white masculinity. His ambiguity about his role in perpetuating colonial stereotypes aligns with theories of hegemonic masculinity, which often reinforce racial and class dominance (Connell, 1995). Meanwhile, Shadia’s internal conflict about her identity and her perception of Africa reveal the effects of internalized postcolonial stereotypes, illustrating how gender and race intersect in shaping individual insecurities (Nandy, 1988).

Collectively, these stories demonstrate that men, far from being emotionally invulnerable, experience profound insecurities related to race, culture, and social expectations. Society’s framing of masculinity as strength, emotional control, and dominance creates pressures that often lead to internal conflicts, as seen in Majdy’s racial shame, Kaseem’s religious identity struggles, and Bryan’s racial awareness. Therefore, understanding male insecurities within a cultural and postcolonial framework reveals the deep psychological impacts of societal norms and stereotypes.

References

• Connell, R. W. (1995). Masculinities. University of California Press.
• Connell, R. W., & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2005). Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept. Gender & Society, 19(6), 829–859.
• Fanón, F. (2008). Black Skin, White Masks (C. L. Markmann, Trans.). Pluto Press. (Original work published 1952)
• Keddie, N. (2010). Patriarchy and masculinity: Distinctions for gender theory. Journal of Gender Studies, 19(3), 243-256.
• Mahalik, J. R., Good, G. E., & Englar-Carlson, M. (2003). Masculinity scripts, presenting Concerns, and Help Seeking: Implications for Practice and Training. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 34(2), 123–131.
• Moore, H. (2004). The Postcolonial Subject. Routledge.
• Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. J. (2013). The Dynamics of African postcolonial identities. African Studies Review, 56(1), 53–72.
• Nandy, A. (1988). The Intimate Enemy: Loss and Recovery of Self Under Colonialism. Oxford University Press.
• Messner, M. A. (2007). Mazing masculinity and the challenging of hegemonic masculinity. In M. Kimmel, J. Hearn, & R. H. Connel (Eds.), Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities (pp. 186-204). Sage.