women . have endeavored to assert themselves to establ ish their identity . and to com­ municate their private feelings. The intensity of such effort and its serious purpose deserve social recognition. When discussing the accom­ Study on plishments of these women, art critics attempt to base their evaluation on characteristics a Woman which distinguish them from male artists. These differences have been summarized by the Pioneer Writer: author as follows: May Ziadeh 1. Women are artistically bold­ er, experiment more with different techniques and Rose Ghurayyib* materials, and do not he­ sitate to explore new ideas. Since May Ziadeh's works, and social reform. Some of I n this respect, men are more twelve or more in number, have these works took the form of traditional in the arts. been reedited by Naufal Publish­ lyrics or prose-poems about ing House in Beirut, Rose Ghu­ romantic and metaphysical 2. Men are more politically and rayyib has prepared a study topics. All her writings bear the socially engaged, are more analyzing the personality and mark of an original style, motivated by intellectualism, works of this famous Lebanese characterized by her finesse and ideology and problems of the author who spent most of her sense of humor. human condition. They are life (1886-1941) in Egypt and , , concerned with the world who distinguished herself as an around them, its events and orator, essayist, critic and styl­ * Rose Ghurayyib, a graduate of the physical environment, ist. Her wide culture, reflected the American Junior College, (now whereas women express a in her mastery of five foreign Beirut University College), received more private vision, are more her B.A., then took an M.A. in languages, besides Arabic, allow­ Arabic literature from the American personal and introspective in ed her to write in various lan­ their creative intention. University of Beirut. She has re­ guages and her first published cently retired from a long teaching work was a colfection of poems career at various institutions, includ­ 3. Some women artists are·· in French: "Fleurs de reve" ing Sidon Girls' School; Mosul exploring areas of sensibility (Flowers of Dream), after which Secondary School, Iraq; French that have not traditionally she devoted herself to writing in Protestant College, ~eirut; and concerned men in art. Arabic. She shared a contri­ Beirut University College. She Women are expressing very bution to the emancipation and taught Arabic at BUC for about 20 directly the intimate, sensual, modernization of Arabic years. Along with her academic and emotioryal responses they literature and thought with the work, she took up writing as a have as women toward the hobby and, since 1948, has pub­ Lebanese Emigrant writers who lished a largi! number of books for male-female relationship. were mainly established in the children and young people, includ­ They don't hesitate to com­ Americas. She also cooperated ing songs, poems, stories and plays. municate these feelings pub­ with early Arab feminist groups In 1952, she published her M.A. licly in their work. in their pioneering ' efforts thesis on "Aestetic Criticism in toward the emancipation of the Arabic Literature", followed by 4. In approach, women artists Arab woman. several books on Arabic composi­ generally are more meticul­ tion, rhetoric, an introduction to ous and more patient in their Her works consisted mainly modern literary criticism, and a attention to detail and the of essays which had been pub­ study of Gibran's works' In ma­ gazines she published a number of finish of a work. They have lished in leading Egyptian maga­ greater awareness for the articles dealing with leterary critic­ zines dealing with travel, liter­ ism and with the Lebanese woman's physical properties of their ature, art criticism, linguistics status and similar problems. medium. 3 .