Subverting the Hero's Journey: Zakeya's Anti-Heroic Arc in God Dies by the Nile

AbstractNawal El Saadawi’s God Dies by the Nile challenges traditional literaryframeworks by presenting Zakeya, its central character, as an anti-heroicfigure who subverts the archetypal hero’s journey. Unlike theconventional hero, whose trajectory involves transformation, triumph,and resolution, Zakeya’s journey emphasizes raw survival and defiancewithin a system of entrenched patriarchal and class oppression. Thispaper examines Zakeya’s arc as a deliberate rejection of traditionalnotions of victory, focusing instead on her resilience and struggle againstsystemic injustices. By tracing the phases of her journey—departuremarked by forced subjugation, initiation through confrontation withoppressive power structures, and a return defined by survival withoutresolution—this study highlights the narrative’s focus on marginalizedwomen’s lived realities. Through a detailed analysis of Zakeya’scharacter, this paper explores how her quiet acts of defiance reflect theeveryday heroism of women who resist structural inequalities.Furthermore, the paper delves into Saadawi’s narrative techniques andsymbolism, such as the Nile’s dual representation of oppression andresistance, to illustrate the cyclical nature of systemic struggles. Bysituating Zakeya’s anti-heroic journey within feminist and postcolonialdiscourses, this research underscores the broader significance of survivalas an act of resistance in the lives of marginalized women. Zakeya’sstory not only critiques societal norms but also expands the boundaries ofliterary heroism, making God Dies by the Nile a powerful feministreimagining of the hero’s journey.Keywords: Patriarchy, Oppression, Resistance, Feminism, Religion andExploitation