Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Modern Approaches in Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Memory and Exile in Faiza Guene’s Discretion (2020)
Dr. Salma Kaouthar Letaief
ABSTRACT:
This article investigates memory and the diasporic experience in the novel of the Algerian diasporic writer Faiza Guene’s Discretion (2020). The paper discusses the legacy of the French colonialization in Algeria and its living consequences on the first and second generations of Algerian immigrants in France. The narrative traces historical events starting from before the eruption Algerian revolution up to present day. It chronicles the experience of displacement of the Taleb family to an alien territory (France) because of war. This experience compels their journey with issues related to memory, identity crisis, alienation, racism, and in-betweeness. The focus in this paper is, thus, on the experiences of both the first-generation immigrants and their second-generation descendants. The characters, particularly the second generation, struggle with the weight of societal expectations, discrimination, and the complexities of belonging to a country that is both home and a site of persistent otherness. The narrative unravels layers of generational trauma, shedding light on the psychological and emotional toll of being caught between the cultural heritage of their parents and the demands of a society that often marginalizes them. In so doing, the article will explore the intricate ways in which the characters navigate a society marked by systemic inequalities, cultural clashes, and the enduring consequences of colonialism. The theory of Multiculturalism is used to analyse the novel in this paper. The theory examines how characters negotiate and navigate their identities in multicultural settings.
keywords: memory, diasporic experience, immigrants, otherness, displacement, multiculturalism, tidentity crisis