Female Resistance in Nawal El Saadawi's Zeina: Sara Mills' Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

The novel Zeina by Nawal El Saadawi describes the social reality of Egypt, where there is injustice and discrimination for women. This research aims to find out the form of Egyptian patriarchy, the author's ideology and describe the subject-object position and author-reader position contained in Zeina's novel. This research is a descriptive qualitative research. There are two data sources, namely primary data sources in the form of Zeina's novel, and secondary data sources in the form of relevant literature and supporting research. The analysis technique used is qualitative analysis technique through three ways, namely: (1) data reduction, (2) data presentation, and (3) conclusion drawing. Data collection techniques are reading and writing techniques. The data collection is done through several stages, namely: (1) reading the novel carefully, (2) recording the contents of the novel that are considered important, (3) looking for other data relevant to the study conducted, and (4) grouping the findings.  The data were analyzed descriptively using Sara Mills' Critical Discourse Analysis theory. The results of the study are the discovery of a form of patriarchy where women are treated harshly and unfairly, the author's ideology in the form of ideology in the context of fighting patriarchy through female characters who are described with their respective forms of resistance. And found 7 quotes that describe the position of the subject and object in the storytelling in Zeina's novel. In addition, it can also be seen that the position of the author and reader is placed in the storytelling using Sara Mills' critical discourse analysis. This study highlights how literature, such as Zeina, exposes patriarchal oppression and inspires resistance through feminist narratives. By analyzing subject-object dynamics, it empowers readers to challenge societal norms. Additionally, it reinforces the transformative potential of storytelling in fostering critical awareness, promoting gender equality, and encouraging broader discourse on women's empowerment in patriarchal societies.