French literary images of the Algerian war : an ideological analysis
The Algerian war of 1954 to 1962 is generally acknowledged to have been the apogee of France's uniquely traumatic retreat from overseas empire. Yet, despite the war's rapid establishment as the focus for a vast body of literature in the broadest sense, the experience of those years is only now beginning to be acknowledged by the French nation in anything like a balanced way. The present study seeks to contribute to the continuing elucidation of this historical failure of assimilation by considering the specific role played by prose fiction in contemporary and subsequent perceptions of the relevant events. Previous research into this aspect of the Franco-Algerian relationship has tended either to approach it as a minor element in a larger conceptual whole or to attach insufficient importance to its fundamentally political nature. This thesis is conceived as an analysis of the images of the Algerian war communicated in a representative sample of French literature produced both during and after the conflict itself. The method adopted is an ideological one, with particular attention being given in each of the seven constituent chapters to the selected texts' depiction of one of the principal parties to the conflict,
Dine, Philip Douglas
War stories, French History and criticism ; Algeria History Revolution, 1954-1962 Literature and the revolution
French literary images of the Algerian war : an ideological analysis. The Algerian war of 1954 to 1962 is generally acknowledged to have been the apogee of France's uniquely traumatic retreat from overseas empire. Yet, despite the war's rapid establishment as the focus for a vast body of literature in the broadest sense, the experience of those years is only now beginning to be acknowledged by the French nation in anything like a balanced way. The present study seeks to contribute to the continuing elucidation of this historical failure of assimilation by considering the specific role played by prose fiction in contemporary and subsequent perceptions of the relevant events. Previous research into this aspect of the Franco-Algerian relationship has tended either to approach it as a minor element in a larger conceptual whole or to attach insufficient importance to its fundamentally political nature. This thesis is conceived as an analysis of the images of the Algerian war communicated in a representative sample of French literature produced both during and after the conflict itself. The method adopted is an ideological one, with particular attention being given in each of the seven constituent chapters to the selected texts' depiction of one of the principal parties to the conflict,
french literary image algerian_war ideological analysis algerian_war generally_acknowledge apogee france uniquely traumatic retreat overseas empire yet_despite war rapid establishment focus vast body_literature broad_sense experience year begin acknowledge french nation anything like balanced way present_study seek_contribute continue elucidation historical failure assimilation consider specific role_play prose_fiction contemporary subsequent perception relevant event previous aspect franco algerian relationship tend either minor element large conceptual whole attach insufficient importance fundamentally political nature conceive analysis image algerian_war communicate representative_sample french literature produce conflict itself method_adopt ideological particular_attention_give constituent select text depiction one_principal party conflict