Gender and Identity in North Africa: Postcolonialism and Feminism in Maghrebi Women's Literature

Description

Literary fiction has always provided an outlet for social and political critique. In the writing of key North African women authors, the dissection of Maghrebi society is at the very heart of the narratives. Here, Abdelkader Cheref charts the rise of postcolonial literature written by women from the Maghreb, and provides the first comparative analysis of three of the region's most prominent contemporary authors: Assia Djeba (Algeria), Leila Abouzeid (Morocco) and Souad Guellouz (Tunisia). These writers are united in their depictions of a post-independence socio-political malaise in the Maghreb; their explorations of marginalised women's voices; and, their own quests for their voices to be heard beyond the rigid constraints of patriarchy. This book is essential comparative reading for students and researchers wishing to understand the connections between literature, history and culture in postcolonial North Africa. Biography Transliteration Notes Acknowledgements Preface Contents Introduction Scope, Rationale and Aims Research and Methodological Contexts Organization of the Book Chapter 1: The Triumph of the Muzzled A Mirror of Mutations and Syncretisms Denouncing the Postcolonial Socio-Political Malaise Female Character as an 'Agent de Rupture' Chapter 2: Representation of the Subaltern and Importance of Community Naissance of Year of the Elephant The Representation of the Subaltern Leila Abouzeid's Sense of Identity The Community's Restorative Potential Conclusion hapter 3: Is Every Woman's Name a 'Wound'? Oppression in A Sister to Scheherazade Defiance and Self-Affirmation Conclusion Chapter 4: Women's Life-Writing Place and Displacement Maternal Linkages and Female Solidarity Class, Society and Archaism The Difficulty of Developing a Positive Self-Image Expressing the Self Conclusion Conclusion Notes Bibliography Glossary Index