The image of masculinity in the novel the death of a former minister by Nawel El Saadawi

Journal of Language, Literature, Social, and Cultural Studies, Volume 4 Number 1 (Mar 2026), pp. 108-119 e-ISSN: 2986-4461 DOI: https://doi.org/10.58881/jllscs.v2i2 https://ympn.co.id/index.php/JLLSCS The image of masculinity in the novel The Death of a Former Minister by Nawel El Saadawi Anggita Tri Chandraningtyas1, Salsa Faradila Mukti2, Zezyana Ledys Permata3, Gregorius Chandra William4, Musyarof 'Ibad Al Kindi5, Calysta Utama Die Citra6, Sulis Fatihatul Hasna7, Onok Yayang Pamungkas8 University of Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, INDONESIA1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 1Email: Abstract - This study explores the construction of masculinity in Nawal El Saadawi’s The Death of a Former Minister, examining how male identities are shaped by and complicit in patriarchal power structures. Building on gender theory and previous work on gender inequality in the same text, the research focuses on how men are positioned as agents of marginalization, subordination, stereotyping, and violence within familial, political, and social spheres. Using a qualitative, descriptive textual method, the novel’s short stories are subjected to close reading, supported by Mansour Fakih’s framework of gender injustice and relevant feminist theories of masculinity 1. The analysis traces recurrent images of male authority—husbands, officials, religious and political figures—and interrogates how their bodies, language, and sexual power sustain a dominant masculine ideal that normalizes women’s inferiority, objectification, and abuse. The study concludes that El Saadawi represents masculinity not as a neutral or natural identity, but as a historically and culturally produced position of privilege that is deeply implicated in gendered oppression. At the same time, cracks within this model—moments of guilt, fear, or failure—suggest possibilities for critiquing and destabilizing hegemonic masculinity in Arab patriarchal contexts. Keywords: Arab fiction; feminist literary criticism; gender inequality; gender representation; hegemonic masculinity; masculinity; patriarchy 1. Introduction According to Admaja & Wirawanda (2024), masculinity is formed from a culture that combines male ideal traits and traits that are considered to be related to men. The media portrays masculinity by portraying a white man as having middle-class status, establishing characteristics, and standards that are at odds with other masculinities known as hegemonic masculinity (Admaja & Wirawanda, 2024). Masculinity is a concept that describes certain social roles, behaviors, and meanings associated with men in a certain time or context (Purwanto et al., 2024). Masculinity is formed through a social construction, the goal of which is for individuals to This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 108 Journal of Language, Literature, Social, and Cultural Studies, Volume 4 Number 1 (Mar 2026), pp. 108-119 e-ISSN: 2986-4461 DOI: https://doi.org/10.58881/jllscs.v2i2 https://ympn.co.id/index.php/JLLSCS understand the roles and behaviors expected in their lives. Thus, masculinity can be interpreted as how a person becomes a man in accordance with the norms and values accepted by society. The ideal male image is usually portrayed in a tough, strong, brave and muscular figure. As well as being good at holding back overflowing emotions, such as not being able to shed tears. With this view, society often places men in certain standards that limit their self-expression and diversity of identity as human beings. With this concept of masculinity, men do not use their own feelings, they feel depressed, even uncalm because of the concept of masculinity, because they feel burdened by the expectations of others (Purwanto et al., 2024). These norms often create social pressures that make men feel like they have to suppress their emotions, disguise their vulnerable side, and they are reluctant to seek help, including psychological help (Ulhaq & Alfian, 2025). According to the Oxford Dictionary (Andriana et al., 2023) Toxic masculinity refers to a mistaken view of attitudes and behaviors that men should have. 7 Masculinity is understood as a means of legitimacy to assert male dominance over women and groups that are considered unmasculine (Sanusi, 2014). This elaboration shows that masculinity is not only related to gender identity, but also serves as a tool to maintain power. Connell asserts that the hegemonic core of masculinity is the use of toxic actions, such as physical violence and oppression, as a means of maintaining dominance. These toxic forms of action can arise through behaviors that control, degrade, or limit the freedom of others who are perceived to be weaker. The concept of toxic masculinity emerged which requires men to behave according to traditional masculinity norms, such as self-limitation, dominance, and negative views of women and homosexual groups. Men are expected to have a bigger physique than women, and do not show vulnerability (Putriana et al., 2025). This view is reinforced by social narratives, for example during the New Order which emphasized wealth, good looks, and physical sensitivity. Today many men are beginning to voice their experiences through educational content, challenging restrictive masculinity stereotypes (Noor & Damayanti, 2024). According to (Ulhaq & Alfian, 2025) Men who absorb traditional masculinity values usually avoid expressing feelings or seeking professional help. The social construct that forbids men from showing sadness makes it difficult for them to manage their emotions, making them vulnerable to being caught in toxic masculinity. As a result, the emotions displayed are often limited to anger, which can encourage violent behavior (Jufanny & Girsang, 2020). The meaning of freedom for men can be understood as an opportunity to transcend the boundaries of traditional masculinity, i.e. living without the need to assert dominance is not always interpreted as an action that is completely in favor of women, but rather as an effort to label (Noor & Damayanti, 2024). Novels The Death of a Former Minister Nawal El Saadawi's work highlights the social and political problems related to male power and the position of women in Egyptian society. Through the male protagonist who experiences psychological and moral pressure due to the patriarchal system, the novel pays attention to how the construction of hegemonic masculinity can be a burden for the man himself. The image of men in this novel is not only portrayed as strong and powerful, but also fragile and directionless, so it is interesting to study using the theory of hegemonic masculinity. In general, the image of masculinity is often associated with physical strength, rationality, courage, independence, and ability to lead. In literary studies, the image of masculinity is often presented through the depiction of male figures that re (...truncated)