ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the meaning of the body in three novels recently published by three Syrian women novelists. Each novel deals with different aspects of contemporary Syrian society. In Rā’ih.at al-qirfa (Smell of Cinnamon,1 2008) Samar Yazbik represents problematic gender divisions and the gap between social classes; in H. urrās al-hawā’ (Guardians of the Air,2 2009) Rosa Yāsīn H. asan deals with themes of political repression and minorities; finally, in Imra’a min hād-ā al-‘as.r (Woman of Modern Times,3 2004)’ Hayfā’ Bīt.ār addresses the broader theme of the dialectical relationship between tradition and modernity in contemporary Syrian society.These novels share a common feature affecting their themes and characters: the body is the site of the struggle between the individual and collective claims. And all of these authors focus on the struggle of the individual to assert his/her rights in a society marked by tradition, religion, and dictatorship.4
