A comparative analysis of the novels Cinderellas of Muscat and Acrid Taste of Persimmon based on feminist elements

Feminist ideas first appeared in literary criticism in the late twentieth century. The primary objective of feministic schools is gender equality in society. Feminist criticism tries to draw the attention of its readers to gender inequalities in society, encourage a different interpretation, and motivate them to take action in this regard. The novels Cinderella of Muscat (Arabic: Sindrella Al Muscat) by Huda Hamed and The Acrid Taste of Persimmon (Ta'am-e gas-e khormalu) by Zoya Pirzad focus on women and their issues. Given the deeply ingrained patriarchal beliefs and behaviors in Arab and Iranian societies, both authors have been influenced by violations of women's rights in their societies and have attempted to reflect these beliefs. This research uses a descriptive-analytical method and the American comparative literature school presumptions to analyze and examine the common feminist concepts in the aforementioned works. The concepts of patriarchy, emotional violence, women against women, and women’s effort to please men were found to be reflected in the works of both authors, and both of them, despite differences in nationality and language, were concerned about women and criticized patriarchal society. The findings indicate that the women in Pirzad's narrative are active and modify their living conditions, whereas the women in Hamed's narrative are passive, though aware of their condition. 
Introduction:
Feminist criticism seeks to highlight the gender inequalities present in society and establish equal rights between men and women. Analyzing and examining novels that emphasize the gender-based dimensions of women and their mistreatment can be effective in eliminating discrimination against this gender.
Simone de Beauvoir, one of the most significant theorists of feminist criticism, in her book "The Second Sex", believes that women are in a society run by men and that to free themselves from this male dominance, they must unite. She believes that it is the women themselves who have caused their own deprivation because they cannot use the masculine logic. Women should see themselves as responsible in society and be less dependent (cf. Beauvoir, 2000: 504-507).
Feminist criticism emerged following the feminist movement and aims to uncover the oppressions, deprivations, and mistreatment against women. For the first time, Tillie Olsen published an article titled "Silences" in 1972, in which she spoke of the sensory experiences and perceptions of women that are not heard. In this article, she invited writers to write "what should be addressed in feminism" and wrote about women's freedom and gender equality. Virginia Wolf, one of the pioneers of feminist criticism, pointed out the problems created by publishers in dealing with female writers and women (cf. Eagleton, 2016: 12-13).
Oppression and injustice against women exist both in text and in the reality of society. Since literature reflects these realities, this oppression and injustice are also reflected in literary genres such as poetry, novels, etc. This criticism, in fact, seeks to end this oppression and to express the various aspects of this gender-based humiliation in literature, indirectly. It can be declared that feminist criticism theorists believe in their theories that women are under the domination of men's thinking and must free themselves from these shackles.
The two novels Cinderella of Muscat by Huda Hamed and The Bitter Taste of Persimmon by Zoya Pirzad contain a series of interconnected stories about women and their family lives. The main subjects of these two novels are women, their concerns, and how men deal with them. A comparative study of these two novels, considering the common feminist elements, can take a step toward combating misogynistic and patriarchal thoughts in society by raising awareness among the audience and thus holds significant importance. In light of the importance of the issue, this research aims to compare the feminist elements in these two novels and analyze and examine their various dimensions.
Method:
This research employs a descriptive-analytical method, relying on the American comparative school, to examine and analyze the common feminist concepts in the two novels Cinderella of Muscat by Huda Hamed and The Bitter Taste of Persimmon by Zoya Pirzad, which contain a series of interconnected stories about women and their family lives.
Results and Discussion:
The common feminist concepts in both novels manifest in the forms of patriarchy, emotional violence against women, women against women, and women's efforts to gain men's approval. Among these, the concept of patriarchy is more extensive than the others and has a high frequency in both novels. Patriarchy in these two novels is expressed in the components of decision-making for women and imposing opinions about women's appearances. In emotional violence, indifference, betrayal, and humiliation of women also emerge.
The narratives of women in The Bitter Taste of Persimmon have a tangible and realistic aspect, however, in Hamed's work, there is no change in the living conditions of the women in the narrative, regardless of the critical aspect. This means that most of the women in Pirzad's narrative are active, whereas the women in Hamed's narrative are passive, but aware of their situation. Nonetheless, the concern of both female writers is shared, and both have criticized their patriarchal societies. Hamed and Pirzad, due to their gender and similarity with the female characters in their narratives, have better understood and reflected the concerns of women.
The two novels Cinderella of Muscat by Huda Hamed and The Bitter Taste of Persimmon by Zoya Pirzad, an Iranian writer, examine and seek to expose the patriarchal ideology. Their fight against patriarchy in their works is not through direct methods or victimizing the female gender, but rather both writers, due to their similar gender experiences and understanding of the female gender, have aligned themselves with the feminine world and mentioned their concerns in the form of similar family and marital narratives. However, the female gender in Hamed's narrative and the fate of her female characters are portrayed more conservatively and statically. In contrast, the female characters in Pirzad's narrative are more dynamic and capable of changing their circumstances. Both writers have embedded shared women-centered concepts and a fight against patriarchal ideology in these two works.
Conclusion:
Overall, both writers have acted similarly in raising awareness to combat the notion of women as the "second sex", and both pursue the fight against the dominance of patriarchal thought. Hamed and Pirzad have both endeavored to provide a foundation of peace and psychological security for women in their families and societies through their narratives. The writers seek to show their audience that the proper way to treat women begins in the marital and family environment and can give them more confidence to play a useful role in society.