Woman at Point Zero: Symbolism of Money The novel "Woman at Point Zero" by Nawal El Saadawi tells the story of a woman, named Firdaus, interviewed by a journalist before her execution. He is in prison accused of killing a man, in an extremely sexist culture, which includes many inequalities between men and women. One of the recurring symbols in the novel was that of money. Money was a very negative symbol in the novel, and it was pointed out by Firdaus that one cannot possess both money and integrity. Another important appearance he made was in determining how Firdaus would live and seemed to be the factor that controlled his life and movements. Firdaus never found freedom until she earned her own money, which showed how powerful she was and how people used it to control her. The third use of money was in its association with the characters, namely Sharifa, and foreshadowed their greed and future actions, which would revolve around it. These events, all related to money, show the negative impact it had on society and women in 20th century Egypt. One aspect that was brought to attention was the inability to maintain one's honor and still be wealthy. The first example of this was shown through Sheikh Mahmoud. Sheikh Mahmoud is violent and controlling and does not allow Firdaus any money, nor any freedom. This allows her to eventually escape to a bar, where she meets Bayoumi. Her relationship with him starts off positively, however when she asks for a job he gets angry. He beats her badly, before allowing his friends to have what they want with her in a sexual way. A possible reason for this, is the reason that Firdaus would earn her own money, which would give her...... middle of paper......and to do whatever she wants, and free not to do it. " Firdaus' newfound freedom is directly related to the fact that she earns her own money, and this shows the power of money. In conclusion, the symbol of money in Woman at Point Zero is very important. It brings different aspects to the story and has different underlying meanings. The first of these is the representation of a person's inability to be rich and honorable at the same time. The second is the hidden meaning of the color green and the materialistic and sexist nature of the people in that period relied on money and needed it to feel adequate and powerful Finally, the use of money in the book shows how money is directly linked to freedom and power, and this was demonstrated through Firdaus, when she became free once she found it. the money and made it on her own.: 1487]