Portrayal of Egyptian Women
The article implies that Egyptian women killed or injured their husbands in a virtual vacuum, as if their main intent was violence for its own sake. Only after reading several paragraphs into the article does the reader discover that these women suffered from prolonged, brutal physical and emotional abuse at the hands of their husbands.
These women also faced economic and legal inequality sanctioned by Egyptian society, which left them economically vulnerable if they proceeded with a divorce. It is quite clear that these women were driven to violence in self-defense as a result of being continually abused.
JANE WINCHELL
Los Angeles
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