Abstract

Postcolonial female-authored narrative is produced within contexts of inferiorization and intimidation. One consequence of operating within such contexts is “writing semblance,” rather than difference, the production of a “docile” brand of writing which accepts the criteria of literary excellence put forth by male forebears and peers and avoids confrontation with hegemonic cultural practices and traditions. This article analyzes the forces underlying the production and consumption of “docile’ writing, its advantages and limitations, and its problematic prioritization of the nationalist over the feminist. Following a theoretical grounding of the article’s argument, Radwa Ashour’s Granada Trilogy will be analyzed as a case study of “docile” female writing. Granada Trilogy has gained tremendous critical acclaim and won prestigious prizes. While carving a well-deserved place in the male-dominated canon, Granada Trilogy not only puts a feminist agenda on the backburner, it also unwittingly ignores and tolerates problematic practices women authors ought to denounce.