Three Daughters Of Eve

Content Warning: This guide section contains discussions of substance misuse and the loss of a child.

Three Daughters of Eve is centered around Peri, a “modern Muslim” woman, and her contention with her identity and conflicts in the context of her faith. It explores what dogmas look like in the context of either atheism or religious belief and questions whether there is a way to exist between the two. Through the narrative, Shafak ultimately argues that the real conflict surrounding faith lies not in the binary of unfaltering belief versus staunch atheism but rather in existing between these extremes.

Peri first experiences conflict surrounding faith in her home with her family. Mensur is staunchly secular and dismisses all kinds of religious belief and superstition, whereas Selma is the opposite. Peri’s brothers are equally divided in their beliefs, and the focus of her early years is the conflict Peri perpetually feels. She is unclear about which side she falls on. Peri tends to sympathize with her father and Umut as she is closer to them. This helps her see the apparent problems with religious dogma: Selma’s superstitions, her reliance on the advice of Hodjas, who are overly moralistic and fear-inducing, and Hakan’s treatment of his bride on their wedding night all underline this perspective.

However, Peri also witnesses how either extreme can be problematic. Mensur’s disregard for religion and its related taboos and morality is complemented by his fondness for and misuse of alcohol. He tells Peri that he doesn’t need the security that religion provides him, but he seeks comfort in something harmful to him. Thus, early on, Shafak suggests that belief by itself is not negative. It can offer security and strength, as it does to Selma; it is extremism, in either direction, that is problematic.

Peri’s experiences at Oxford, particularly through her friendship with Shirin and Mona, intensify her conflict. Both young women are as opposed to each other’s world views as Peri’s parents were, and once again, Peri finds herself thrown into an environment of conflict, especially when they begin living together. This context is important for Peri to examine her o conflicting views on faith, especially because characters Peri can more closely relate to present the differing sides. Both Shirin and Mona are educated Muslim women of the same age as Peri. Unlike her father, who is a man, or her mother, who is of a different generation, Peri can see herself reflected in Shirin and Mona more easily. Although Shirin and Mona’s disputes are removed from Peri because they are not her family, they nevertheless force her to contend with questions of faith more closely due to their relatability with each other. This compels Peri to take a more active part in resolving her conflict by attending Azur’s seminar.

Azur’s seminar offers a reflection of the worldview that Shafak propagates through the book: There is no one answer to the question of God. There are times when Azur’s views encourage empathy and coexistence: He prohibits his students from engaging in hate speech and forces them to contend with worldviews different than their own. However, in an attempt to always remain balanced, Azur’s attitude sometimes slips into impersonality to the extent that it ignores or erases people’s contexts and feelings. For example, he harshly reprimands Peri’s desire for justice from God and forces Mona to work with a student who is prejudiced against Muslims. With all of Azur’s desire for objectivity and balance by allowing multiple subjective views, he and his students ultimately forget that Azur is human, with his own biases. His arc and how it influences Peri’s story explore both the advantages and limitations of sticking to the middle path. Thus, Shafak explores questions of faith, the kind of conflict that can exist around it, and how one can navigate existing in the middle. She ultimately shows that the fundamental conflict regarding faith is not in the binary of belief versus atheism. Rather, it is in navigating the complexities of existing between these two extremes.