Western Representations of the Muslim Woman: From Termagant to Odalisque

Veiled, secluded, submissive, oppressed--the odalisque image has held sway over Western representations of Muslim women since the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century. Yet during medieval and Renaissance times, European writers portrayed Muslim women in exactly the opposite way, as forceful queens of wanton and intimidating sexuality. In this illuminating study, Mohja Kahf traces the process through which the termagant became an odalisque in Western representations of Muslim women. Drawing examples from medieval chanson de geste and romance, Renaissance drama, Enlightenment prose, and Romantic poetry, she links the changing images of Muslim women to changes in European relations with the Islamic world, as well as to changing gender dynamics within Western societies.

Author: Mohja Kahf
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 06/01/1999
Pages: 219
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.67lbs
Size: 8.92h x 5.99w x 0.48d
ISBN: 9780292743373

Review Citation(s):
Univ PR Books for Public Libry 01/01/2000 pg. 21 - Recommended/Special Interest

About the Author
Kahf, Mohja: - Mohja Kahf is Assistant Professor in the English Department and the Middle Eastern Studies Program at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.