Insider vs. Outsider narratives: Comparative analysis of middle eastern women's agency in the works of jean sasson and fatima mernissi

Abstract

This paper examines the representation of Middle Eastern women's experiences in the works of Jean Sasson and Fatima Mernissi, focusing on the dynamics of agency, religious contexts, and cultural resistance. Through comparative analysis of Sasson's Princess trilogy and Mernissi's Dreams of Trespass and The Veil and the Male Elite, this study investigates how authorial positionality shapes narrative construction and reception. Sasson, an American writer presenting accounts of Saudi women, embodies an outsider perspective that has garnered both commercial success and scholarly criticism. In contrast, Mernissi, a Moroccan sociologist and feminist, offers an insider's viewpoint grounded in lived experience and academic rigour. This research analyses how these contrasting positions affect the representation of women's agency, the interpretation of Islamic practices, and the portrayal of resistance strategies. The study contributes to ongoing scholarly conversations about voice, authenticity, and representation in transnational feminist literature, arguing that the interplay between insider and outsider narratives creates a more nuanced understanding of Middle Eastern women's complex realities.