Super Short Summary

Scheherazade Goes West: Different Cultures, Different Harems by Fatema Mernissi, explores the contrasting perceptions of harems in Western and Eastern traditions, highlighting how Western interpretations often misconceive harems as places of male domination and fantasy, whereas in Eastern cultures, harems are seen as spaces of female power, intelligence, and resistance. Through examining cultural elements like art, literature, and history, Mernissi argues that the Eastern figure of Scheherazade symbolizes female empowerment and intelligence, countering Western portrayals of harem women as obedient and subjugated.