A Look Behind The Veil Summary

“Now, she says, you must carry yourself with modesty, bow your head in the presence of men, and cover yourself with your shaw. Never look a man in the eye. Never allow yourself to be alone with a man who is not family… Once you are married, she says, you must eat your meal only after your husband has had his fill. Then you may have what remains. If he burps at the end of a meal, it is a sign that you have pleased him. If he turns to you in the night, you must give yourself to him, in the hopes that you will bear him a son… If your husband asks you to wash his feet, you must do as he says, then put a bit of the water in your mouth… This has always been our fate. Simply to endure is to triumph.” (McCormick 15-16)
Inequality; a very simple word
Fernea and Robert A. Fernea’s A Look Behind the Veil. The article discusses how clothes reflect certain beliefs in Middle Eastern countries and how women are viewed differently. Women must present themselves differently, especially in Middle Eastern cultures, to allow their husbands and families to be seen as greater. In A Look Behind the Veil, Fernea talks about the how different objects represent different things in Middle Eastern societies. “The feminine veil has become a symbol; that of the slavery of one portion of humanity.” (Fernea 1) The veil, typically worn by all women in Middle Eastern countries, symbolizes that of slavery, and also seclusion. As one could assume, the wearing of a veil by the woman in the family ties back to, once again, social status. Historically, only wealthy men were allowed to seclude (or veil) their wives. Poor men not only could not afford to do so, but they needed their wives to work and be productive members of the family as well. So, ironically, poorer women actually had more freedom than those who married wealthy men because they were allowed to work and weren’t secluded or cut off from the rest of the world by their husbands. Another point Fernea calls to attention involves the way men are honored versus women in society. “Male honor and female honor are both involved in the honor of the family, but each is expressed differently. The honor of a man, sharaf, is a public matter, involving bravery, hospitality, piety. It may be lost, but it may also be regained. The honor of a woman, ‘ard, is a private matter involving only one thing, her sexual chastity. Once lost, it cannot be regained.” (Fernea 5) It’s hard to even fathom how men can be seen as so mighty and powerful and women are seen as fragile and