The Female Protagonists’ Failure to Achieve the American Dream Woman Is No Man

Abstract

This study examines the failure of the American Dream in the lives of protagonist depicted in Etaf Rum's novel A Woman Is No Man through the lens of Antonio Gramsci's theory of cultural hegemony. The research focuses on how Palestinian immigrant women in the novel are unable to achieve the promises of freedom and equality associated with the American Dream due to deeply ingrained cultural traditions. Instead of experiencing liberation upon their arrival in the United States, the female characters, Isra, her daughter Deya, and Fareeda, her mother-in-law find their lives are still governed by the same strict, traditional values that would have limited them. The dominance of these traditional values acts as an internal system of control, shaping their roles and ideology and severely limiting their opportunities. By examining the intersection between this cultural hegemony and the American Dream, this study argues that the American Dream is not a reality that can be achieved by these women but is merely an illusion by the profound and persistent cultural traditions they face.