An Analysis of Feminist Components in Kahlil Gibran’s Broken Wings

Authors
qader qaderi 1
Azad Monesi 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran/qaderi@pnu.ac.ir
2 Assistant Professor of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature,PNU University,Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study examines the representation of feminism in Kahlil Gibran’s Broken Wings, analyzing the position of women within a traditional society structured by patriarchal norms. The novel depicts women’s experiences in confronting social constraints and male dominance, revealing the feminist dimensions of their struggle for freedom and independence. The primary objective of this research is to analyze the feminist manifestations within the text of the novel through an examination of the central character, Salma, who symbolizes the oppressed woman, as well as the role of customs and traditions in perpetuating gender inequality. The research methodology combines critical analysis grounded in feminist literary criticism with a descriptive approach that illuminates the characters, events, and feminist elements. This methodological integration enables a comprehensive and multidimensional analysis that both interprets literary concepts and represents the social and cultural relations depicted. The findings indicate that the novel emphasizes women’s individual freedom, particularly as Salma suffers under the pressures of family and society; emotional freedom is portrayed as a fundamental aspect of women’s liberation, while unequal marriages hinder the realization of her identity and desires. Furthermore, the critique of the patriarchal system, which transfers women as commodities from father to husband, emerges as a significant conclusion. Ultimately, although the novel depicts women as symbols of sacrifice and submission within the framework of traditional stereotypes, it simultaneously offers a critical and protest-oriented dimension against this reality.
Keywords
Jibran Khalil Jibran
feminism
Broken Wings
patriarchal system
emotional freedom
women in society
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Studies in the Arabic Geosciences
Volume 7, Issue 4 - Serial Number 21
Spring 2026
Pages 261-286