Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood
Encyclopedia
Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood is a memoir
by Fatima Mernissi. It describes her youth in a Moroccan
harem
during the 1940s and brings up topics such as Islamic feminism
, Arab nationalism
, French colonialism and the clash between the traditional and the modern.
in Fez, Morocco during the 1940s and early 1950s. The young Mernissi narrates her childhood at both the traditional, walled harem in Fez and the equally traditional but geographically open harem belonging to her grandfather, in the countryside.
Of particular concern for Mernissi and her cousin Samir is the definition of adult concepts--throughout the memoir, they are constantly discussing the nature of the harem, of hudud
(sacred frontiers), questions of truth
versus convenience, and the growing tension between French
colonial forces and Moroccan nationalists.
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
by Fatima Mernissi. It describes her youth in a Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
during the 1940s and brings up topics such as Islamic feminism
Islamic feminism
Islamic feminism is a form of feminism concerned with the role of women in Islam. It aims for the full equality of all Muslims, regardless of gender, in public and private life. Islamic feminists advocate women's rights, gender equality, and social justice grounded in an Islamic framework...
, Arab nationalism
Arab nationalism
Arab nationalism is a nationalist ideology celebrating the glories of Arab civilization, the language and literature of the Arabs, calling for rejuvenation and political union in the Arab world...
, French colonialism and the clash between the traditional and the modern.
Plot summary
The memoir details Mernissi's childhood and adolescence in a traditional haremHarem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
in Fez, Morocco during the 1940s and early 1950s. The young Mernissi narrates her childhood at both the traditional, walled harem in Fez and the equally traditional but geographically open harem belonging to her grandfather, in the countryside.
Of particular concern for Mernissi and her cousin Samir is the definition of adult concepts--throughout the memoir, they are constantly discussing the nature of the harem, of hudud
Hudud
Hudud is the word often used in Islamic literature for the bounds of acceptable behaviour and the punishments for serious crimes...
(sacred frontiers), questions of truth
Truth
Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character...
versus convenience, and the growing tension between French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
colonial forces and Moroccan nationalists.
Fez
- Uncle Ali: Mernissi's uncle and her father's oldest brother
- Father: Mernissi's father, the younger of the two brothers who live in the harem
- Lalla Radia: the narrator's aunt
- Mother: Fatima Mernissi's mother, an outspoken feminist and opponent of harem life
- Lalla Mani: Mernissi's paternal grandmother, an extremely conservative, traditional matriarch
- Cousin Samir: Mernissi's male cousin, born just a few hours before her. He is a constant companion throughout childhood
- Cousin Chama: Mernissi's other cousin, a natural performer and storyteller
- Aunt Habiba: a divorced aunt who lives near the terrace of the Fez harem, who possesses great tenderness and storytelling skill
- Cousin Malika: Mernissi's manipulativePsychological manipulationPsychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative,...
older cousin - Ahmed: the hired doorkeeper, whose job it is to ensure that none of the women leave the harem without permission
- Mina: a harem slave whose story of captivity inspires Mernissi to bravery
- Lalla Tam: Mernissi's exacting Koranic school instructor; one of the few individuals in the story who are not members of the harem
The Harem in the Countryside
- Yasmina: Mernissi's affectionate, rebellious maternal grandmother.
- Lalla Thor: The "first wife" of Mernissi's grandfather; (Tazi) who alienates herself from the other wives through her wealth and haughtiness.
- Tamou: a warrior and widow from the Atlas Mountains (a Berber), whose family (Father, Husband, and a young Son and Daughter) were killed while combatting Spanish occupation. Mernissi's grandfather Tazi shelters and marries her, and she and Yasmina eventually become friends.
- Yaya: a wife from SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, who suffers from homesickness until Yasmina and Tamou find and plant a banana tree for her.