The Sheik

The film The Sheik is a portrayal of oriental romance. Similar to Aladdin, this film Americanizes Arabic countries and Arabs as a whole. Diana’s features represent Arabs but still contain a lot of American characteristics similar to Jasmine in Aladdin. Diana becomes a representation of how Eastern women hold less power than Western women. This was one of the many themes that was discussed throughout class. Being a woman anywhere in the world often becomes a lot more problematic than being a man. However, the idea of being a women in Eastern countries, is argued to be a lot more difficult and controversial. Diana begins off as a very independent woman who does not rely on any man. After she gets abducted by Sheik Ahmed, she slowly starts trusting him and following his orders. However, this becomes humiliating to her as she does not want to be viewed as a submissive Arab women in front of her Western friends she is visiting. The portrayal of Arab Women being submissive and dependent to men becomes a valid topic in this film.