Francophone literature from the Maghreb has been characterized as littérature d’urgence by Maghrebian novelists and critics alike, a term that has also been used by Assia Djebar (Bonn & Boualit, 1999; Chaulet-Achour, 1998; Djebar & Trouillet, 2006). In Sartrian terms, it is a littérature engagée, writing that takes a political stance by addressing a variety of critical societal issues, including female oppression, patriarchy, education, religion, terrorism, mono-versus multi-linguism, and violence – in this case the murder of a French teacher in 1990s Algeria. In keeping with postcolonial theory, it is also a literature of resistance and rebellion by taking up the cause of Arab women writers, many of whom have fought to make themselves heard in what remain largely patriarchal societies that view women writers with suspicion (Ireland, 2001; Segarra, 1997; Morsly & Mernissi, 1994). I propose to explore the political, societal, and educational stances played out in “La femme en morceaux” (1996), a piece of Assia Djebar’s collection of short stories titled Oran, Langue Morte.
The Teacher as Performer and Activist in Assia Djebar’s “La femme en morceaux”