Rupturing the oppressive cycle: an analysis of differential oppression in Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Wadjda and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye

In certain communities, the persecution of female children has long existed, shedding light on the shared struggle against social and cultural conventions and the resilience that arises from such adversity. By examining two different social contexts—the Saudi setting in Wadjda (2012) and the African...

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Main Authors: Menia Mohammad Almenia, Rabab Ahmed Amin AbdelFattah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Cogent Arts & Humanities
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2511387
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author Menia Mohammad Almenia
Rabab Ahmed Amin AbdelFattah
author_facet Menia Mohammad Almenia
Rabab Ahmed Amin AbdelFattah
author_sort Menia Mohammad Almenia
collection DOAJ
description In certain communities, the persecution of female children has long existed, shedding light on the shared struggle against social and cultural conventions and the resilience that arises from such adversity. By examining two different social contexts—the Saudi setting in Wadjda (2012) and the African American context in The Bluest Eye (1970)—the current study aims to further explore this topic. Differential oppression is used to explain the psychological and physical effects racism and patriarchy have on children. Morrison and Al-Mansour examine childrens’ frustrated hopes, recurrent setbacks, and adversity-induced behavior. The forms of child oppression studied are: latent and active, direct and indirect, familial and societal. The cultural contexts presented in the selected works offer a contrast in the types of oppression experienced by their respective victims. Despite differing cultural, familial, and societal backgrounds, the victims in these stories unite in their shared suffering and mental endurance. This study’s broader implications lie in its ability to reveal universal truths about the human condition, specifically the resilience of children in the face of adversity. Despite cultural differences, strong self-image and mental health prove to be critical components in the face of oppression. The study also emphasizes the necessity of families to be agents of change.
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spelling doaj-art-c8ca7e72f8bd4b7d838b32601b4abf962025-08-20T03:46:09ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Arts & Humanities2331-19832025-12-0112110.1080/23311983.2025.2511387Rupturing the oppressive cycle: an analysis of differential oppression in Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Wadjda and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest EyeMenia Mohammad Almenia0Rabab Ahmed Amin AbdelFattah1Department of English Language and Literature, College of Languages and Humanities, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of English Language and Literature, College of Languages and Humanities, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi ArabiaIn certain communities, the persecution of female children has long existed, shedding light on the shared struggle against social and cultural conventions and the resilience that arises from such adversity. By examining two different social contexts—the Saudi setting in Wadjda (2012) and the African American context in The Bluest Eye (1970)—the current study aims to further explore this topic. Differential oppression is used to explain the psychological and physical effects racism and patriarchy have on children. Morrison and Al-Mansour examine childrens’ frustrated hopes, recurrent setbacks, and adversity-induced behavior. The forms of child oppression studied are: latent and active, direct and indirect, familial and societal. The cultural contexts presented in the selected works offer a contrast in the types of oppression experienced by their respective victims. Despite differing cultural, familial, and societal backgrounds, the victims in these stories unite in their shared suffering and mental endurance. This study’s broader implications lie in its ability to reveal universal truths about the human condition, specifically the resilience of children in the face of adversity. Despite cultural differences, strong self-image and mental health prove to be critical components in the face of oppression. The study also emphasizes the necessity of families to be agents of change.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2511387Active oppressionlatent oppressiondifferential oppressionWajdaThe Bluest Eyeresearch work
spellingShingle Menia Mohammad Almenia
Rabab Ahmed Amin AbdelFattah
Rupturing the oppressive cycle: an analysis of differential oppression in Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Wadjda and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
Cogent Arts & Humanities
Active oppression
latent oppression
differential oppression
Wajda
The Bluest Eye
research work
title Rupturing the oppressive cycle: an analysis of differential oppression in Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Wadjda and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
title_full Rupturing the oppressive cycle: an analysis of differential oppression in Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Wadjda and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
title_fullStr Rupturing the oppressive cycle: an analysis of differential oppression in Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Wadjda and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
title_full_unstemmed Rupturing the oppressive cycle: an analysis of differential oppression in Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Wadjda and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
title_short Rupturing the oppressive cycle: an analysis of differential oppression in Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Wadjda and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
title_sort rupturing the oppressive cycle an analysis of differential oppression in haifaa al mansour s wadjda and toni morrison s the bluest eye
topic Active oppression
latent oppression
differential oppression
Wajda
The Bluest Eye
research work
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2511387
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