May Zeyada : The Butterfly Of Literature {Tribute Series}
May Ziadeh or the butterfly of the literature as called by the cultural collective in Egypt and Arab region. She was the idol for women and girls as she had grace, intellect and elegance, this was one of the sentences said for May's memorial after she left life to rest in peace. The influential writer had a sensitive and eloquent literature style in which she expressed revolutionary opinions particularly on the women perceptions towards the public domain. Due to her sophisticated upbringing, she was fluent in several languages. She had a cultural salon in which cultural congregations are held for sophisticated minds to share ideas and notions. From them were numerous admirable men by her elegant mindset. She had a sensitive side where she had engaged in a distance relationship with the writer Gobran Khalil Gobran. After his death which coincides with her parents as well, she had a breakdown with her delicate side. Maybe, this could be called today depression or post trauma syndrome disorder (PTSD) but instead she was hospitalized for being with serious psychological illness. This was a time when there was no awareness and attentive to psychological distresses. For the record, there are still some stigma and concerns towards psychological illness, particularly in Egypt. May was hospitalized in a psychological hospital for expressing sensitivity over the death of someone she considered close. Even if she had strong feelings with these correspondences or had affection feelings for someone who did not feel the same in return, she should have had all the right to just feel it and to acknowledge her feelings.
Her family as recognized in most of the narratives on her biography is the one which find this incidence as the proper opportunity to admit her in the hospital. One of the websites specifically stated there was an envious cousin which was behind the decision. She stayed in the hospital for several years after which she was released and considered stable. She did not find opportunities open for her to publish her writings again as before.
She did not have the chance to engage in a relationship whether engagement or marriage and did not conceive either. Her death was in her fifties where three public figures attended her funeral.
There was statement by May Ziadeh that she was not very much aware of the conspiracies and schemes other could plot as she focused on her studies and intellectual work. Her memorable works were celebrated and acknowledged by other esteemed writers. She was celebrated by Google after almost hundred years.
May Ziadeh had her life tragedy, yes, this could be perceived by the majority. She, herself must have had really disturbing time with loss of her parents and her friend or lover as considered by her at least. She could have experienced what we perceive today as trauma.
Her family and if some of the resources are true, her family must have thought that they broke her as she will not be fixed. Indeed, they broke her, and she did not publish again or had limited writings. They sabotaged her academic career and maybe her personal life as well. They witnessed this, lived it, tasted it and who knew maybe celebrated it proudly and shamelessly with a smile of victory and supremacy.
We might perceive May Ziadeh story as a sad one or a life tragedy. The majority want the sweetened part of being the admirer and successful not the tragedy where there is the victim role. The role she also refused to play. Ziadeh could after these misfortunes have ended her life or her mental life could have been worsening but she chose with courage to live even if life turned its back. Ziadeh (the last name of May Ziadeh) in Arabic is translated into too much or a lot. And she was a lot, too much and many kind and good things for the world to handle. The world in which the rewards go to someone knows deception and malevolent disguised within some people.
Google's celebration with Ziadeh in 2012
Ziadeh's family and the malicious hatred towards her from them or others are recognized till today in her tragedy. Their imprint, the recognized one, is to contribute to the hospitalization of one of the great and influential writers in the Arab region. They were successful in being the main reason behind the receding of her academic and personal life resulted from this hospitalization.
We should not remember the tragedy of May Ziadeh without the recognition of the malicious role of her family in her tragedy. Some would think they do not want to have her tragedy and miserable life. Well, you won't, and I hope this was a relief for your welfare. The sensitivity of May Ziadeh which some could perceive it as immaturity contributed to her writings, intellect and charming personality. She was, is and will be considered one of the great writers and intellectuals in the Arab region. Her story, her tragic story is something to bow for her in respect and appreciation.
She might even have died for her broken heart with an open cut, wounded by her sensitive and delicate soul. But she was the butterfly, and this life was her cocoon. She flourished to fly in peace and high flowing with grace above all of this.
resources:
Al Jazeera English _ May Ziadeh (video)
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