Illumination

I chose to illuminate Ebla's responsibility as a woman because throughout the story she struggled with what is perceived to be the role of a woman in Somalian Culture. She didn't think it was right that women should be considered inferior to men. The folowing quote was used to explain to Ebla the reason why women should be submissive to men.

"God created woman from a crooked rib of Adam; and any one who trieth to straighten it, breaketh it."

As a woman living in a western society I feel sad that in the 20th century in some cultures the apparent physical and psycological abuse of women is considererd acceptable:

• The quote above explains Ebla's justifies the belief that women originated from men. Therefore, they are inferior. However, throughout the story and her encounters with numerous people, she questions the logic that goes into a woman's inferiority. If a woman bears a child, the motherly love is no less for a girl than for a boy. At what point in their lives, does one child become more important than the other?
• Women go through painful circumcisions so that a man can feel validated by her purity, with no regards for her well being or suffering.
• As a human being, women should be valued for what we offer as far as personality or companionship, instead of being considered as an object to be disposed of whenever they are no longer considered valuable.