The Embodiment of Algerian Women's Trauma in Ahlam Mosteghanemi's The Bridges of Constantine (A Postcolonial Feminist Reading)

This study aims to explore how Ahlam Mosteghanemi weaves a narrative in The Bridges of Constantine (Thakirat al-Jassad) that constructs an insight into the individual and collective traumas experienced by the Algerian men and women in the aftermath of the French colonization, as well as the civil conflict. The novel's portrayal of the resilience of the Algerian people, their ability to find hope and beauty amidst hardship and suffering, is a significant aspect of the research. This study tackles analyses of trauma within the framework of postcolonial feminism in Algeria and the Trauma theory as articulated in Frantz Fanon's A Dying Colonialism and Cathy Caruth's Unexpected Experience: Trauma, Narrative, and History. By utilizing Fanon's and Caruth's theories as frameworks, this study explores themes of collective trauma, repression, and healing related to women’s trauma. The main contribution of this study lies in extending the argument on the postcolonial engagement of Mosteghanemi’s The Bridges of Constantine by focusing on her portrayals of the gendered experiences during colonialism, offering insights into the intricate interplay between gender, power, and resistance within oppressive systems. The study reveals how Mosteghanemi successfully portrays colonialism's ongoing impact on gender dynamics and follows through by emphasizing the continuous struggle for gender equality in the postcolonial Algerian society.