Preview of In the Eye of the Sun Summary:

In the interview with Massad of the Journal of Palestine Studies, Soueif herself has classified In the Eye of the Sun as a "classical novel of education" (1999). The novel's main theme, no doubt, is the coming of age of a beautiful young Arab woman and her efforts to make her existence meaningful.

This theme, coupled with a host of other related and delicately treated subjects, runs throughout the narration and produces a network of interesting episodes in the life of a protagonist in search of happiness. Issues of friendship, love, and happiness are among the most conspicuous motifs Soueif touches upon through the portrayal of her heroine.

As a woman in general and as an Arab woman in particular, Soueif presents Asya as a character striving to come to terms with her natural female impulses. The novel explores the boundaries of love and sex through the touching and...