Counter-conduct and Persistence in Selected Works by Egyptian Women Writers

In this paper, Michel Foucault’s concept of “counter-conduct” and Judith Butler’s “persistence” are deployed, explored, applied to rethink the relationship between dominant patriarchal power women’s dissent as represented in writings Latifa al-Zayyat (1923-1996), Nawal El Sadaawi (1931-2021), Salwa Bakr (1949). Analyzing al-Zayyat’s The Open Door [al-Bāb al-maftūḥ], Sadaawi’s short story “The Picture” [al-Sura] Bakr’s “Thirty-one Beautiful Green Trees” [Ihdā wa thālathūn shajarah jamīlah khadrā] terms twofold approach allows in-depth explorations various strategies different modes counter-conduct persistence selected literary texts. It also for rigorous authentic evaluation how female protagonists - Layla, Narjis Kareema – endeavor carve out other ways being that lead emergence their new subjectivities gendered identities. Keywords: Agency, Counter-Conduct, Everyday Acts Resistance, Persistence, Women’s Writing