Albert Camus' novel 'The Stranger' is a colonial text in which the writer willingly ignores the Arab, the second most important character of the novel. The present research endeavors to prove that 'The Stranger' by Camus and its counter narrative 'The Meursault Investigation' by Kamel Daoud are examples of African novels.
The following research therefore endeavors to analyse 'The Stranger' by Albert Camus and 'The Meursault Investigation' by Daoud as examples of African novels, from a postcolonial perspective. In order to do so, the native Arab portrayed in both the novels will be analysed. First, the voiceless Arab of 'The Stranger' will be analyzed, followed by an investigation into and analysis of the portrayal of the Arab in 'The Meursault Investigation'.
This research analyzes Albert Camus's The Stranger and Kamel Daoud's Meursault Investigation as examples of African novels from a postcolonial perspective. The primary focus is on the portrayal of Arab characters in both novels, comparing their representation and the implications of their voicelessness in Camus's work to their reclamation of voice and identity in Daoud's counter-narrative.
Analysis of The Stranger and The Meursault's Investigation as examples of African Novels: This chapter analyzes the portrayal of Arab characters in Albert Camus's The Stranger and Kamel Daoud's Meursault Investigation. In Camus's novel, the Arab characters are largely nameless, voiceless, and dehumanized, representing the colonial gaze and the othering of the native population. Their lack of individuality contributes to their dehumanization, depicted as a “group of Arabs” rather than distinct individuals. This contrasts sharply with Daoud's Meursault Investigation, which serves as a counter-narrative, giving a voice and identity to the brother of the Arab killed by Meursault, providing a nuanced perspective on the impact of colonialism and the erasure of native experiences. The chapter explores how the absence of detailed descriptions of Arab individuals reinforces their marginalization and the power dynamic between colonizer and colonized, highlighting the exoticization and silencing of the Arab community. The comparison underscores how literature can reflect and challenge colonial power structures.
Postcolonial literature, Albert Camus, The Stranger, Kamel Daoud, Meursault Investigation, Arab representation, dehumanization, colonial gaze, counter-narrative, voicelessness, identity, Algeria, colonialism.
This research analyzes Albert Camus's The Stranger and Kamel Daoud's Meursault Investigation from a postcolonial perspective, focusing on the portrayal of Arab characters and the implications of their voicelessness in Camus's work versus their reclamation of voice and identity in Daoud's counter-narrative.
The key themes include postcolonial representation of Arab characters, the concept of the "stranger" and its reversal in the two novels, the impact of colonialism on the colonized, the use of silence and voicelessness as a tool of dehumanization, and the counter-narrative and the reclamation of identity.
In Camus's novel, Arab characters are largely nameless, voiceless, and dehumanized, representing the colonial gaze and the othering of the native population. Their lack of individuality contributes to their dehumanization, often depicted as a “group of Arabs” rather than distinct individuals.
Daoud's Meursault Investigation serves as a counter-narrative, giving voice and identity to the brother of the Arab killed by Meursault. It provides a nuanced perspective on the impact of colonialism and the erasure of native experiences, directly contrasting with the dehumanization present in Camus's novel.
The absence of detailed descriptions of Arab individuals in Camus's work reinforces their marginalization and the power dynamic between colonizer and colonized, highlighting the exoticization and silencing of the Arab community. Daoud's work directly challenges this silence by giving voice to the previously unheard perspectives.
Comparing The Stranger and Meursault Investigation underscores how literature can reflect and challenge colonial power structures. It highlights the impact of colonial representation on the portrayal of marginalized communities and the power of counter-narratives to reclaim lost voices and identities.
Key words include: Postcolonial literature, Albert Camus, The Stranger, Kamel Daoud, Meursault Investigation, Arab representation, dehumanization, colonial gaze, counter-narrative, voicelessness, identity, Algeria, colonialism.
