With renewed Western interest in the Middle East and Middle Eastern women since September 11th 2001 the discourse surrounding Arab women\u27s oppression, and their supposed inability to resist that oppression on their own is becoming prevalent in the West. Through an examination of the novels of Nawal El Saadawi and Hanan Al-Shaykh, this paper seeks to reveal Arab women\u27s writing as an avenue for resistance to male domination. I examine the issues of cultural translation and readership as well as the narrative strategies these authors utilize in their novels. I examine the body as sensual site of reclamation for Arab women. The paper also discusses the authors\u27 criticisms of religious oppressions faced by women in both East and West, and how these oppressions can be linked
