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Women authors on a world-wide basis are creating startling perspectives about the lives of women, which run counter to the stereotypes imbedded in and enforced by traditional patriarchal systems of religion and education. This growing trend in contemporary literature presents the interior and exterior worlds of women from a womanist perspective. This term defines a feminist perspective particularly appropriate to women in developing nations living under extreme patriarchy and articulates a feminist vision that speaks to marginalized women who are devalued and silenced under patriarchy. This volume focuses on three cultures with varying degrees of patriarchy Mexico, the Arab region, and the United States and two authors, Brianda Domecq from Mexico and Hanan al-Shaykh from Lebanon. Women´s human and civil rights are on trial as never before due to patriarchy´s most virulent expression in fundamentalism, and the womanist vision expressed through literature has enormous potential to break through the silence.

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MA, studied Comparative Literature at San Diego State University. Professor of English at Grossmont Community College, California; owner, professional editing business.

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