French genocide in Algeria: the role of memory in artistic representation of colonial violence in the novel, The Seine was Red (1999)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the role of the novel, The Seine was Red, in surfacing memories that reconstruct French genocide in Algeria. The article uses Leila Sebbar's novel, The Seine was Red, to demonstrate that immigrant communities in France in 1961 experienced violence from French police, and that this violence allows the author to manifest the layers of narratives of genocide in Algeria. The Seine was Red complicates the notion of genocide by also showing that during the struggle for independence in Algeria, some Algerian nationalists committed mass murder on other Algerians. An essential part of the Algerian population that suffered from different forms of violence was the Algerian women; they were silenced under an Algerian patriarchal system, endured rape and physical molestation from the French during colonialism. This article concludes by revealing that memories of violence so constructed by female characters in the novel also provided the reason for the mobilisation of Algerian women to struggle first, against French colonialism in Algeria, second, against Algerian patriarchy during the nationalist struggle and, third, against the brutality of the French police in France in 1961. This gendered narrative suggests that Algerian women's memories of genocide confirm as well as challenge the genocide narrative constructed by Algerian men and the narrative of civilisation popularised by the French.

Keywords:

• French genocide
• Algerian 1961
• nationalist struggle
• immigrant communities