Decrees and Troubles in Muslim Womanhood: A Study in Shaila Abdullah’s Saffron Dreams

Christena T¹, Benila S R²

¹Assistant Professor, Department of English, St. Teresa Arts and Science College for Women, Mangalakundu, Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli. christena45@yahoo.com

²Assistant Professor, Department of English, St. Teresa Arts and Science College for Women, Mangalakundu, Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli. srbenila94@gmail.com

Abstract

This paper brings out the critical situations of the Muslim community in America after the 9/11 attack. It focuses on the faith, gender, and identity of the characters. The author, Shaila Abdullah, highlights the troubles the protagonist Arissa faces in the country and how she overcomes them, in the novel Saffron Dreams. Arissa is a Muslim woman who loses her husband in the 9/11 Twin Towers’ attack. She confronts personal tragedy, cultural alienation, and the redefinition of her identity in an atmosphere of prejudice. At last, she assimilates to the culture of America, by hiding her own culture, to take care of her son who suffers from different ailments.

Keywords: Trauma, Identity, Faith, Motherhood, Resilience.