x, 215 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries under the call number: KNIGHT PQ149 .A56 2004 / This dissertation project seeks to connect the thematic concerns of Francophone women's post-colonial fiction to broader issues of breaking cycles of violence and resisting the negative effects of globalization. An important part of the study will be a discussion of the historical trend towards the mechanization of nature to account for an ideology of domination that the West has exported to its colonies. Borrowing especially from Carolyn Merchant and the Frankfurt School of critical theorists but also from feminist object relations theorist Jessica Benjamin, I trace masculine culture's will to mastery over a weaker other to a primal fear of chaotic nature and the omnipotent Mother. Violence that is currently directed at nature, women and children, and that is a central theme in the narratives I consider, has a long history. Colonization in all its forms stands out as the main characteristic of this history that will continue to repeat itself if left unexamined. My project demonstrates how these particular post-colonial novels engage with the past in such a way as to diffuse the internal mechanism of abusive power. There are two principle components of this engagement: one is the bringing-to-light of a buried history, personal and collective, that Western, masculine culture strives to repress. The other is the creation of an aesthetic that offers a means to mourn a traumatic past, thereby initiating a process of emotional and social healing. Both phenomena serve as political resistance to a hegemonic system based on denial of loss. In these novels I refer to this aesthetic of mourning as a "feminine symbolic of loss" to distinguish it from a traditional male canon of melancholy literature which instead capitalizes on loss for its own advancement. Their representations of oft-tabooed subjects attest to a refusal to comply with the cultural mandate of silence, driving a wedge into that mechanism of power that perpetuates itself by the disavowal and repression of loss. / Committee in Charge: Karen McPherson, David Castillo, Linda Kintz, Wolf Sohlich

This study analyzes the experience of alienation from family and culture as portrayed in the personal narratives of francophone women. The authors appearing in this study are Assia Djebar and Marie Cardinal, from Algeria, Mariama Bâ and Ken Bugul, from Senegal, Marguerite Duras and Kim Lefèvre, from Vietnam, Calixthe Beyala, from Cameroon, Gabrielle Roy, from Canada, and Maryse Condé, from Guadeloupe. Alienation is deconstructed into the domains of blood, money, land, religion, education and history. The authors’ experiences of alienation in each domain are classified according to severity and cultural normativity. The study seeks to determine the manner in which alienation manifests in each domain, and to identify factors which aid or hinder recovery. Alienation in the domain of blood occurs as a result of warfare, illness, racism, ancestral trauma, and the rites of passage of menarche, loss of virginity, and menopause. Money-related alienation is linked to endemic classism, often caused by colonial influence. The authors experienced varying degrees of economic vulnerability to men, depending upon cultural and familial norms. Colonialism, warfare and environmental depending upon cultural and familial norms. Colonialism, warfare and environmental degradation all contribute to alienation in the domain of land. Women were found to be more susceptible to alienation in the domain of religion due to patriarchal religious constructs. In the domain of education, it was found that some alienation is inevitable for all students. Despite its inherent drawbacks, education provides tools for empowerment which are crucial for overcoming alienation. Alienation in the domain of history was found to hinder recovery due to infiltration of past trauma into the present, while empowerment in this domain fosters optimism and future-oriented thinking. Each domain offers opportunities for empowerment, and it is necessary to work within the domains to create a safe haven for recovery. Eight of the nine authors experienced at least a partial recovery from alienation. This was accomplished via cathartic release of negative emotions. Catharsis is achieved by shedding tears, talking, or writing about the negative experiences. The personal narrative was found to be especially helpful in promoting healing both for the author and the reading audience. / Classics and World Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (French)

Observateur invétéré des réalités quotidiennes de son milieu natal, Seydou Badian a publié, en 1957, un roman intitulé Sous l’orage. Témoin oculaire des événements journaliers de son terroir natal, surtout ceux du milieu professionnel, Marcel Khombe Mangwanda a publié de son côté, en 2008, un ouvrage intitulé Le Porte-parole du président. Après une lecture méticuleuse des deux romans, on constate que ces deux écrivains africains ont examiné avec finesse, dans leurs productions littéraires respectives un thème commun, à savoir le conflit des générations. Qu’entendent-ils par conflit des générations? Comment conçoivent-ils et exploitent-ils ce thème dans ces romans? Quelles solutions proposent-ils aux vieux et aux jeunes d’une part, au pouvoir et au peuple d’autre part pour éradiquer le conflit qui demeure, en Afrique, non seulement un obstacle pour l’épanouissement de l’individu, mais aussi un frein pour le développement de leurs pays et de la société africaine? / Seydou Badian, inveterate observant of the daily realities of his native milieu published in 1957 a novel called Sous l’Orage. Marcel Khombe Mangwanda, eyewitness of his native terrirory daily events, mostly those of the professional milieu, on his side, published in 2008 a book called Le Porte-parole du président. After a careful reading of the two novels, we can notice that the two African writers have carefully scrutinized a common theme in their literary work, conflict of generations. What do they mean by conflict of generations? How do they understand and exploit this theme in their respective novels? Which solutions do they propose to old people and to the youths on one hand, to leaders on power and to the people on the other hand, to eradicate the conflict which is in Africa, not only an obstacle to individual blossoming, but also an obstruction for the development of the society, of the country and of the African continent? / Classics & World Languages / M.A. (French)

Text in French / Observateur invétéré des réalités quotidiennes de son milieu natal, Seydou Badian a publié, en 1957, un roman intitulé Sous l’orage. Témoin oculaire des événements journaliers de son terroir natal, surtout ceux du milieu professionnel, Marcel Khombe Mangwanda a publié de son côté, en 2008, un ouvrage intitulé Le Porte-parole du président. Après une lecture méticuleuse des deux romans, on constate que ces deux écrivains africains ont examiné avec finesse, dans leurs productions littéraires respectives un thème commun, à savoir le conflit des générations. Qu’entendent-ils par conflit des générations? Comment conçoivent-ils et exploitent-ils ce thème dans ces romans? Quelles solutions proposent-ils aux vieux et aux jeunes d’une part, au pouvoir et au peuple d’autre part pour éradiquer le conflit qui demeure, en Afrique, non seulement un obstacle pour l’épanouissement de l’individu, mais aussi un frein pour le développement de leurs pays et de la société africaine? / Seydou Badian, inveterate observant of the daily realities of his native milieu published in 1957 a novel called Sous l’Orage. Marcel Khombe Mangwanda, eyewitness of his native terrirory daily events, mostly those of the professional milieu, on his side, published in 2008 a book called Le Porte-parole du président. After a careful reading of the two novels, we can notice that the two African writers have carefully scrutinized a common theme in their literary work, conflict of generations. What do they mean by conflict of generations? How do they understand and exploit this theme in their respective novels? Which solutions do they propose to old people and to the youths on one hand, to leaders on power and to the people on the other hand, to eradicate the conflict which is in Africa, not only an obstacle to individual blossoming, but also an obstruction for the development of the society, of the country and of the African continent? / Classics and World Languages / M.A. (French)