Women in Always Coca-Cola are oppressed by multiple intersectional forces of oppression, such as patriarchy, the male gaze, colonialism, and the beauty myth. Although some women in the novella are caught in a state in between rebellion and conformism, Always Coca-Cola largely subverts patriarchy. By the end of the novella, the female protagonist is able to break free from some of her chains of oppression. Through a close textual analysis, this paper draws on many theories such as the “male gaze,” Hélène Cixous’s “writing the body,” and Naomi Wolf’s “the beauty myth” to argue that Alexandra Chreiteh’s Always Coca-Cola attempts to subvert the male and colonial gaze, the beauty myth, and heteronormativity through writing the body.

Note on the Author

Dr. Luma Balaa is associate Professor of English Studies in the Department of English at the Lebanese American University of Beirut. Her research interests include fairytales, Anglophone Lebanese Australian writers, women’s writings, feminism and representations of women in Cinema. She is the author of several international refereed articles.