Female Representation in the Golden Age of Kuwaiti Television

Abstract

This paper addresses the representation of female rebellion and madness in the Kuwaiti musalsal ʿIla al-dunya al-salam which was produced in 1987. The show revolves around two sisters, Mahthootha and Mabrooka, adult women who are residents of a mental institution. The law dictates that their uncle is their guardian and has complete control of their finances. He devises a plan to strip them of their rights and their inheritance by committing them to the psychiatric institution. At the hospital, the audience meets many women with similar fates. The stereotypes of madness present it as dangerous and as affecting more women than men. Male domination features as a recurrent theme throughout, as all the male characters abuse their power, whether in the form of familial or medical authority. The dichotomy of sane/insane is reversed as the characters outside the hospital are cruel, corrupt and yet empowered due to social factors, gender and class. The series raises important questions and considers patriarchal oppression and Kuwaiti women’s experience in both the private and public spheres.