Litterature francophone du Maghreb: Themes et Ecriture / Francophone Literature of Maghreb: Themes and Style

(Section A – Methodology ; Section B – Literature)

From its genesis in the nineteenth century, francophone literature of North Africa has not ceased to inspire controversy. Supplanting an existing cultural and linguistic foundation, it found its rightful place through the cultural imagery of the three Maghrebian countries, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Initially conceived as a form vehiculaire (idiom of communication), over time the written works of the Maghreb evolved into a vernaculaire (idiom of expression). Before constituting a full-fledged literary domain, pedagogical materials written in French by teachers who were natives of the Maghreb appeared in the form of reviews, such as Soleil and Simoun. Unfairly dismissed by critics as “mimetic”, this generation nevertheless would become pioneers in a discourse of protest, paving the way for more substantial works by the writers who would follow. This course will use a comparative format to address francophone literature in terms of its variety of expression and its diversity of production. We will seek understanding by referring both to French literature and to the theoretical prisms which permit an analytical approach to the texts. The literature of the Maghreb lays claim to its specificity by forming an autonomous domain of creation and study. We will attempt to define the sociological and anthropological stakes which are at play in each text. We will also examine from a literary perspective the significant 'shake-ups' of these societies and their treatment, such as independence, linguistic and democratic questions, and, finally individual liberty, notably that of the woman. We will also examine the panorama of the literature of immigration, also referred to as “Beurre”. Lastly, we will evoke the works of two major writers whose perspectives undoubtedly entail a process which is at once transnational and universal. It consists of moving beyond the close borders of francophonie in order to propose a new method of examining the new horizons of a 'francopolyphonique' style.

Readings (included in a coursepack to be purchased at the Middlebury Bookstore):
Le fleuve detourne de Rachid Mimouni
La nuit sacree de Tahar Benjelloun
Femmes d'Alger dans leur appartement de Assia Djebar
Additional readings will be distributed and analyzed in class, in accordance with the syllabus.

N.B Students who choose section A can validate their credits in methodology (equivalent to 6525).
(Besides regular credits this course may also count for one unit (i.e. 3 credits) in the M.A. in Mediterranean Studies program)