Reading and Remembering the Algerian War: The Functions and Effects of Literary Texts in Readers’ Interactions with Cultural Memory

Abstract

What are the functions and effects of literary texts in shaping readers' interactions with cultural memory? Although various scholars have addressed this question – both from a general theoretical perspective and with regard to the specific historical context of the Algerian war (1954-1962) which is central to this study – until now little attention has been paid to actual reading practices. Positioned on a junction between memory studies, postcolonial theory and reader research, this thesis combines a critical close reading of Des Hommes (2009) by Laurent Mauvignier and Ce que le jour doit à la nuit (2008) by Yasmina Khadra with the analysis of (online) responses to these novels, written by professional and non-professional readers in France and Algeria. As the legacy of the war continues to be a site of contestation and negotiation within and between different communities in these two countries (a phenomenon that, in recent years, has come to be described as ‘guerres de mémoires’), particular emphasis has been put on the study of literature’s potential to circulate and foster empathy and understanding beyond social and ethnic lines. It was found that notions of witnessing and/or learning played an important role for readers of both texts, and that the specific interactions of text, reader, and mnemonic context were crucial in determining the actualization of a work’s mnemonic potential in memory culture. Although readers’ personal sense of responsibility often remained somewhat unclear in their responses, they all showed the agency to write down their thoughts about the novel and engage in public discussion, thus revealing aspects of mnemonic refiguration that are likely to remain hidden in analysis that focuses solely or primarily on textual representation or professional reception.