6533b824fe1ef96bd12810ad

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The search for identity in the narrative stylistic and poetic study

subject

description

This dissertation deals with the quest for narrative identity in four distinct narratives: Le Premier Homme, by Albert Camus; Les Oliviers de la justice, by Jean Pélégri; Ébauche du père, by Jean Sénac; and Outremer, by Morgan Sportes. The authors of these narratives belonged to the community of French people born in Algeria and, later on, to that of the pieds-noirs. The texts examine mainly the end of French Algeria. This accounts for the reference to the years 1954-1962, among other periods of time, and to the tragic consequences these years led to, including exile and uprooting. The designation “French Algeria” in itself contains at least a dual reference to identity, if not referring to a plurality of components. For each of the four authors considered, defining or expressing their identity creates a real difficulty, which increases when origins are ambiguous. This is what I have attempted to explore, notably through the enunciation and interlocution process, as questions about oneself are questions articulated by one person to a third party. Beyond this, my aim is to highlight the concepts of otherness and of the way one is seen by another person, as well as the role they play in the constitution of the self or in the construction of a claim about any identity, for the quest is organized around the relation to this other. This work shows that while there are no clear or satisfying answers to the initial interrogations of the narrators the search for identity is a journey that leads to the construction of a truth about oneself which imparts meaning to one’s existence.