When the Apricots Bloom

Each of the female protagonists in the novel faces her own issues, but there is a lot of overlap between the characters’ problems, which are often specific to their status as women in relation to men in a male-dominated culture. At one point or another, all the women in the novel are evaluated specifically as an extension of a man. Huda’s status as the provider in her family draws her husband’s ire, Rania’s status as a widow endangers her daughter’s safety, and Ally’s lack of specific occupation relegates her to the diminutive position of “housewife.” Though every issue faced by the protagonists in this novel can be interpreted as an inherent reflection of the fights that real-life women often face, the interactions amongst these three women also demonstrate the myriad methods—both overt and covert—that women the world over have developed to resist and defy patriarchal oppression.

Huda and Ally must overcome issues that are precise opposites, for while Huda endures criticism and outright suspicion because of her successful occupation, Ally is judged for her very lack of occupation within Iraq. Huda’s difficulties become particularly apparent whenever Abdul Amir snaps at her, essentially blaming her for his own insecurities about the fact that his wife is the sole provider for the family. On the evening of the amnesty, for example, Abdul Amir lashes out at Huda for having already locked up the house, saying, “And when your pathetic husband loses his job, you get an even better position working at an embassy” (210), before carelessly spilling his beer everywhere. Critically, Abdul Amir phrases his accusation as a direct causal scenario, implying that Huda has gotten a better job solely for the purpose of emasculating her husband. The real truth, however, is reflected in the splattering of beer from Abdul Amir’s can in his excited movement; he is not pathetic because his wife has a better job, but rather because he does not put in the effort to do more for his family. In Huda’s case, her success is seen as suspicious, and even downright malicious, and her husband refuses to acknowledge that she has actually worked hard for her success. As a woman, she is expected to fail so that her husband can swoop in to save her, but Huda has done what she must to save her family, and Abdul Amir attacks her for it.

Ally, by contrast, is not employed while she is in Iraq, since her journalistic profession is forbidden for foreigners, and she cannot afford to draw attention to her American heritage. Nonetheless, her life is largely empty, and she spends most of her time bored at home, wishing that she could work freely on a book about her mother. At Rania’s garden party, the social perception of being a housewife is most poignantly revealed in the Chinese diplomat’s reaction: “Her eyes went blank, like someone had pulled down a blind. She turned to the man beside her, and they began to converse in what sounded like Russian” (65). Ironically, this particular diplomat, who is also a woman, passes the most severe judgment on Ally, even though, from Abdul Amir’s perspective, Ally is performing exactly the desired role of a wife. The visualization of pulling down a blind on a window shows the total lack of interest that the Chinese diplomat has in Ally upon finding out she is currently unemployed. Thus, this encounter implies that the Chinese diplomat has crafted a complete judgment of Ally’s life and lack of worth from that one term, “housewife.” The contrast between Huda’s challenges as a successful wife and Ally’s as an unemployed wife reveals the double standard held up to women, for in this social construction, either too much or too little success carries the risk of an unfavorable judgment from different sectors of society. While women might judge other women for failing to make a name for themselves, men might judge women for taking on too much success.

In addition to these complex yet unspoken social battles, Rania and Hanan’s journeys reveal the physical challenges of functioning as a woman not just in Iraq, but also around the world. Hanan, following the visit from Malik, is perpetually viewed as a sexual object by the mukhabarat and other government men, specifically as a target of sexual assault. At the same time, Rania is denied the ability to save her daughter, for the permission needed to obtain a travel permit must come from a man. This obstacle leaves Rania and her daughter entirely at the mercy of their would-be assailants, and they cannot gain access to reprieve without the benefit of some external male assistance. The struggles of these women combine to illustrate the hopelessness of their situation, a fact that renders their escape from Iraq even more important for them, as well as for women across the globe. While many elements of the story are unique to Iraq, sexual assault and sexism are not unique to any one country, and as Rania meets with Ally and Huda in Jordan, there is an overarching tone of having overcome the gender-specific challenges that the women have faced across the novel.