Throughout the history of modern terrorist movements, women have
played a surprisingly dominant role in terrorism. While much has been
said and written about these women, it is not the purpose of this
paper to address the topic of women who are terrorists. Rather this
paper considers the topic of women who love terrorists—a theme
that appears in both anti- and pro-terrorist novels. This choice is
justified because terrorism is by no means a one-sided
affair.
Society also plays a role in the dynamic of
terrorism. In her essay negative unity.
Negative
unity occurs when the majority refuses to use its strength to
overpower a disruptive minority. Those women who love terrorists
provide the opportunity not only to address the role society plays in
the dynamic of terrorism but also to analyze closely this phenomenon
of negative unity. More specifically, analysis of these women leads to
consideration of the seductive power of terrorism; the often tragic
consequences that society's attraction for terrorism has for both
society and the terrorist; and the extent to which society
participates in and may be responsible for terrorism. Discussion
begins with Dostoevskij's terrorist novel