1st Edition

The Algerian War Retold Of Camus’s Revolt and Postwar Reconciliation

By Meaghan Emery Copyright 2020
    226 Pages
    by Routledge

    226 Pages
    by Routledge

    The Algerian War Retold: Of Camus’s Revolt and Postwar Reconciliation focuses on specific aspects of Albert Camus’s ethical thought through a study of his writings in conjunction with late 20th- and early 21st-century works written by Franco-Maghrebi authors on the topic of the Algerian War (1954-1962). It combines historical inquiry with literary analysis in order to examine the ways in which Camus’s concept of revolt -- in his novels, journalistic writing, and philosophical essays -- reverberates in productions pertaining to that war. Following an examination of Sartre’s and Camus’s debate over revolution and violence, one that in another iteration asks whether FLN-sponsored terrorism was justified, The Algerian War Retold uncovers how today’s writers have adopted paradigms common to both Sartre’s and Camus’s oeuvres when seeking to break the silence and influence France’s national narrative. In the end, it attempts to answer the critical questions raised by literary acts of violence, including whether Camusian ethics ultimately lead to justice for the Other in revolt. These questions are particularly poignant in view of recent presidential declarations in response to years of active pressure applied by associations and other citizens’ groups, prompting the French government to acknowledge the state’s abandonment of the harkis, condemn the repression of peaceful protest, and recognize the French army’s systematic use of torture in Algeria.

    Introduction

     

    Chapter One: The Self on Trial

    Silence and Language

    Responsibility and Guilt

    Mother, Native Land, and Justice

     

    Chapter Two: The Responsible Journalist

    Methods of Critical Journalism

    The Responsible Editor

    A Chronicle of October 17, 1961: La Seine était rouge: Paris, octobre 1961

     

    Chapter Three: A Brother in Arms

    Le policier, le fonctionnaire et le réfractaire

    La règle d’action

    Arming the Powerless With a Narrative

     

    Chapter Four: The Native Son

    From Soil to Ashes

    To Die So Young

    This is Not a Court of Justice

     

    Conclusion

    Biography

    Dr. Meaghan Emery is an Associate Professor of French at the University of Vermont.