Existential Anxiety and Female Consciousness in Woman at Point Zero

Abstract

This study explores existential anxiety and female consciousness in Woman at Point Zero through the lens of feminist existentialism. The novel presents the tragic life of Firdaus, a woman subjected to continuous psychological, physical, and social oppression within a patriarchal society. The research investigates how existential suffering shapes Firdaus’s consciousness and transforms her from a silenced victim into a self-aware figure of resistance. Drawing upon the existential philosophies of Jean-Paul Sartre and Soren Kierkegaard, along with the feminist existentialism of Simone de Beauvoir, the study analyzes themes of alienation, despair, freedom, identity, and self-realization in the novel. Using qualitative textual analysis and close reading methodology, the article examines Firdaus’s psychological experiences from childhood trauma to her final act of defiance. The study argues that existential anxiety in the novel emerges from systemic patriarchal violence, emotional isolation, and the denial of female autonomy. However, this suffering simultaneously becomes a catalyst for the development of female consciousness. Firdaus’s rejection of submissive social roles and her acceptance of death ultimately signify existential freedom and resistance against oppressive structures. The article concludes that Woman at Point Zero not only critiques patriarchal domination but also portrays the evolution of female consciousness through existential struggle. By combining existential philosophy with feminist literary criticism, this study contributes a deeper psychological and philosophical understanding of women’s oppression and resistance in Arab feminist literature.