From Sleep Unbound by Andree Chedid is the story of a young Egyptian woman who becomes a victim of patriarchal oppression and gradually takes ownership of her own life. As the title implies, Samya has a dramatic moment of awakening in which she realizes her autonomy. Married at the age of 15 to a significantly older man and subsequently abandoned by her father, she experiences a total subjugation to her husband in young adulthood. After struggling to conceive for years, she finally gives birth to a daughter who is her pride and joy and reason for living. The child dies, an event which catalyzes Samya's awakening. After a season of extreme illness and depression, one day she awakens with renewed vigor. She takes charge of her own fate by murdering her husband, despite knowing the action spells her rejection from society.
Samya's story draws attention to the role of society in the oppression of certain people groups. Because Samya is considered her husband's property, she is not allowed to engage with society freely, even though she must still conform to its expectations. The women around her offer support, but they are similarly disenfranchised and restricted, even unable to leave their homes without their husband's consent. When Samya "wakes up," she realizes that the social consequences for murdering her husband are insignificant compared to the way he has single-handedly destroyed her life. Society offers her no help, so why should she worry about alienation or punishment if she could be free form her husband?
The primary dilemma of Samya's story is her inability to gain freedom from her husband. She reaches out to her father, but he says she belongs to Boutros now. She appeals to the other women in her village, but they are unable to offer anything but sympathy. When she becomes pregnant at last, seemingly Samya's abuse will end, but apparently having a daughter is still not enough for her husband who continues to abuse her. Thus she kills Boutros out of desperation. The problem with this solution is that Samya still is not justified ethically, morally, or legally in this murder. She murders Boutros. Nonetheless, she chooses this crime over her slavery to the man, illustrating the true power of physical and mental domination and subjugation.
