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Analysis Of Amal El-Mohtar's Seasons Of Glass And Iron

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In Amal El-Mohtar’s “Seasons of Glass and Iron,” two women are trapped in magical situations: Tabitha is forced to wear down seven pairs of iron shoes by her abusive bear husband as punishment for trying to prevent his violence, while Amira is placed on a glass hill by her father to prevent the advances of suitors and keep her father’s kingdom united under his control. Magic here acts a metaphor for patriarchal power, and is used to impose restrictions upon women, just as the patriarchal system does. Through this metaphor, El-Mohtar asserts that the socially constructed patriarchal system is not intrinsic to society but, like magic, is an unnatural force, and advocates for a return to the natural base in order to reconstruct society. Throughout the story, magic works in the same way that power dynamics in a patriarchal society work, in that it works against the female characters, imposing restrictions on them, while it works in favour of men. This restrictiveness of magic is seen in Amira’s situation: the magic is imposed on her by her father, the king, who places her on a glass hill to prevent the suitors’ advances and keep his kingdom united under his control. The magical hill is “perfectly suited to her so long as she does not move. Magic girdles her, roots her stillness through the throne” (El-Mohtar 2). Here, the diction “girdles” and “roots” emphasizes her confinement, and it is made clear that the magical aid is conditional, only so long as she conforms to its rules

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