The Literary Work by Assia Djebar - Assignment Example

Literary featuresThis literary work by Assia Djebar shows an intertwining pattern of the history of the native Algeria. This is in relation to an episode from a young girl in a thrilling story which brings the picture of French conquest around 1830 and the liberation war of 1950s. While growing up in the old Roman coastal town of Cherchel, this young girl observes a sharp contrast of her life to that of their neighbouring family and she dreams beyond the chains of law and tradition. With courage and passion, she breaks away from the family to join her brothers in the liberation war against the French domination in marquis’.

Djebar’s literary prowess is seen in how she puts each chapter in a very simple and informative way through use of literary features. Through such skills, she brings to life the real experiences of girls and women who were caught up in a dual situation of struggle for independence, both their own and Algeria as a nation.Imagery comes out as very common in this article to put an emphasis on the extremity of the social problems that women experienced at the height of struggle. In page 226, the image of the hand that is being led into an education links and contrast with what is represented as a limb of a woman of Algerian roots (226).

This is an instance where imagery is used to showcase the state of a woman’s education in the society as being a struggle. It is also notable that symbolism has been explored by this literary icon in the form of a veil women have to be in against all temperatures and occasions. This actually presents the extent of tradition slavery in which women are held.“Yet again, one man speaks, another listens and writes”. This excerpt from chapter four shows the use of rhyme and rhythm as an emphatic tool showing how the fight against the French was bitter and tensed to the extent that some orderly tactics was to be applied.

Soliloquy has been used in this narration very commonly. Its intended use is to break the monotony of the long narrations. Within this literary feature, the author expresses the state of hopelessness of the people even as they put up relentless fight against the French colonial domination. Symbolism seems to take toll in this novel as depicted by Pauline when she compares women to beasts .This emphasizes the extremity of oppression that the women were subjected during this period of anti colonial uprising.

Onomatopoeia is not left out either in this literary work. For instance, in the chapter where Pauline who is a Christian comes in, it is indicated that the sound that soldiers made as they marched was akin to that of steel. According to this excerpt, it can be seen that the French army were up to the task to ensure that they win in the struggle. It is not lost that this French colony had much superior weapons and highly trained military personnel as depicted by the trampling sound. Many other features have been used to illustrate the literary talent of the Algerian icon.

Work CitedHiddleston, Jane. Assia Djebar: Out of Algeria. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2006. pg.198-227. Print.