The image of modern Islamic women through childbirth in Malay and Persian short stories

Abstract

This paper analyzes Malay and Persian short stories by Zaharah Nawawi and Simin Daneshvar entitled, Perjalanan yang Panjang (A Long Journey) and Z a ym a n (Childbirth) where they use the same issue, childbirth, to bring together the strands of their presentation of the modern Islamic women. Thus the objective of this study is to examine in detail the image of modern Islamic women through childbirth in Malay and Persian short stories. The study applies contextual analysis under the themes of women as educated persons and responsibility bearers, reliance on authority and human nature, tradition versus modernity, view of love and symbolism of journey and purification. This paper contributes towards reducing the huge gap of comparative studies between Malay and Persian literature especially short stories by female writers. Despite various differences, Zaharah and Daneshvar both succeeded in using one of the core experiences of womanhood to present strong and inspiring Malay and Persian females as role models.