Point of View

The story is written in the first-person point of view from the perspective of the author. The reader should be aware that some people call this a work of non-fiction and that the stories presented truly are memories of Fatima Mernissi's childhood living within a harem in Morocco. Others take the stand that the stories are made up. Biographical information about Fatima indicates that she was born in Morocco in the 1940s and that she grew up there. There are many footnotes included in the book and one refers to "the harem which inspired the tales of this book," which seems to indicate that the stories are only based on Fatima's life but are not a true depiction of it. In either case, the stories seem historically correct and Fatima's first-hand knowledge of the subject matter makes the stories believable. Fatima is taught from early childhood...