Abstract:
The Awakening by Kate Chopin (1899) and the Lebanese novel Ghaflat Al-
Turāb by Rachid El-Daif (1991) convey mythical themes namely: the party, the
hortus conclusus, and death and rebirth. These themes allow a study of how the two
cultures affect the protagonists in both novels. It appears that the protagonists seem to
act as enlightened rebels in their communities. These enclosed communities or pocket
cultures affect Edna and Sāyid. Edna tries to rebel through resorting to nature and its
elements. She is similar to Aphrodite/Astarte in her appearance at the dinner party.
This likeness foreshadows Edna’s last swim where she tends to be reborn from the sea
just like Aphrodite. The lineage of Aphrodite/Astarte is also related to the presence of
the Virgin Mary in Ghaflat Al-Turāb. Sāyid’s rebellion comes through his reaction
towards the religious practices in his community and their superstitious beliefs. While
Edna leaves everything behind and becomes one with nature, Sāyid chooses to stay in
Ehden but live on the hope of witnessing a change one day. The protagonists rebel in
one way or another and their rebellious views mark an underlying sarcasm to the trite
thoughts of the two pocket cultures presented in both novels. Edna and Sāyid signify
attempts of revolting against enclosed cultures. The rebellion might not be complete,
but the trial is what really counts. The road that the protagonists follow matters more
than where this road finally leads to. It is the journey that counts the most.
