Moroccan society is composed of many conflicting and/or correlating modes of production. The subject, by virtue of inhabiting such a ‘composite’ society, is racked under the burdensomeness of modes of production. The inability to identify wholly with one pole of meaning production causes ‘l’homme composite de la société composite’ a certain split. Darius Shayegan calls such a split ‘cultural schizophrenia.’ This paper attempts to trace cultural schizophrenia and its consequences on ‘l’homme composite’ in two novels by Abdullah Laroui “Al-Ghurba” [Alienation] and “Al-Yatim” [The Orphan]. The study of modes of production in Moroccan society, as the two novels depict, will give the paper an important insight into characters’ schizophrenic behaviour.
This paper is anchored on the idea that some characters are schizophrenic in the sense that they exhibit certain schizophrenic behaviours.
I mean by cultural schizophrenia that the characters are ‘culturally’ schizophrenic; that is, they display manifold facets of modes of consciousness that go hand in hand with certain modes of social organization and cultural production. This state generates feelings of alienation. I believe this cultural schizophrenia is the consequence of the conflicting dualisms that characterize these people who inhabit ‘les sociétés composites.’
Table of Contents
General Introduction
«L’homme Composite» and the Cultural Schizophrenic
“La Société Composite” in Al-Ghurba and Al-Yatim
Patriarchy
From Feudalism to Capitalism
Tribalism
Morbid Symptoms
Double reference
The return of the repressed as a morbid symptom
Alienation as a morbid symptom: powerlessness and meaninglessness
Powerlessness
Meaninglessness and normlessness
The Narrative Space in Al-Ghurba
Rooms
City
General Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the manifestation of cultural schizophrenia within the postcolonial Moroccan context, specifically analyzing two novels by Abdullah Laroui: Al-Ghurba and Al-Yatim. The study seeks to investigate how the transition of Moroccan society, characterized by the coexistence of conflicting modes of production—such as patriarchy, feudalism, and capitalism—results in a fragmented sense of self for the individual. By utilizing theoretical frameworks like Paul Pascon’s "la société composite" and Daruis Shayegan’s "cultural schizophrenia," the research explores the psychological and social consequences of residing at the intersection of traditional values and modern global influences.
- The impact of conflicting social and economic modes of production on the individual psyche.
- The concept of "cultural schizophrenia" as a result of internalized dualisms in a transitional society.
- The literary function of narrative space and symbolic objects in reflecting internal fragmentation.
- The analysis of gender roles and patriarchal structures within the evolving Moroccan social framework.
- The alienation of the postcolonial subject through feelings of powerlessness and meaninglessness.
Excerpt from the Book
The return of the repressed as a morbid symptom
The repressed here is not an unfulfilled wish in early childhood; nor is it an eternal seeking after the real; rather, the repressed here refers to how women’s desire resurfaces by virtue of its being repressed in patriarchy.
Feminine desire is overriding and repressed in Patriarchy. Because of this repression, characters suffer from morbid symptoms. Maria is, as we said, the flower of all womanhood of the past; she wants to be a pillar of the universe, but since she is living in patriarchy, she cannot express her desire for other people will say of her ‘shitana’a matchba’a[ she-evil is unquenchable](Al-Yatim 17). In this society, Maria’s ego has to repress her sexual desire for it is socially unadmitted, and it is a taboo to talk about feminine sexual desire. This that her ego tell her not to do or think is repressed and sent into the unconscious mind. Just as exactly she may be treated if she expresses her feminine desire in a patriarchy, her superego has to censor her sexual desire and enforce it into the unconscious.
Summary of Chapters
General Introduction: Outlines the research objectives concerning the study of cultural schizophrenia in Laroui's novels and the theoretical reliance on Pascon and Shayegan.
«L’homme Composite» and the Cultural Schizophrenic: Explores the sociopolitical framework of a transitional Moroccan society and defines the concept of the composite man influenced by multiple, often conflicting, modes of production.
“La Société Composite” in Al-Ghurba and Al-Yatim: Analyzes the structural organization of society within the novels, focusing on patriarchy, the transition from feudalism to capitalism, and tribalism.
Morbid Symptoms: Examines the psychological consequences of societal transitions, including "double reference," the return of the repressed, and manifestations of alienation such as powerlessness and meaninglessness.
The Narrative Space in Al-Ghurba: Explores the symbolic use of setting and architecture, specifically how private rooms and the city function as objective correlatives for the characters' internal states.
General Conclusion: Synthesizes the main arguments, reaffirming that the internal struggle of the characters is an inevitable product of inhabiting a fractured, transitional society.
Keywords
Cultural schizophrenia, Moroccan society, La société composite, Abdullah Laroui, Alienation, Patriarchy, Feudalism, Capitalism, Tribalism, Objective correlative, Chronotope, Postcolonialism, Psychoanalysis, Narrative space, Modernity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this research paper?
The paper aims to trace the existence and consequences of "cultural schizophrenia" in Abdullah Laroui’s novels, Al-Ghurba and Al-Yatim, as a direct result of living in a transitional and complex Moroccan society.
What is "cultural schizophrenia" according to this study?
It is defined as a split mentality where individuals experience internal fragmentation because they must navigate conflicting modes of consciousness, such as traditional values and modern influences, simultaneously.
Which theoretical frameworks are applied?
The research primarily relies on Paul Pascon’s concept of "la société composite" (complex society) and Daruis Shayegan’s theory of "cultural schizophrenia" to explain the characters' psychological states.
What is the significance of the narrative space in these novels?
The narrative space acts as an "objective correlative" or symbolic structure. Setting, such as closed rooms or shrines, is used to mirror and evoke the internal restlessness and fragmentation of the characters.
How is patriarchy discussed within the analysis?
Patriarchy is analyzed as a system of symbolic power where male-dominated structures constrain female desire, often leading to the labeling of women as "evil" or "demonic" when they attempt to assert agency.
What are the core themes explored in the middle chapters?
The chapters cover the socio-economic transition of Morocco, analyzing how elements of patriarchy, feudalism, and capitalism exist in a "bric-à-brac" mix, impacting identity and social organization.
How does the author interpret Maria’s act of running nakedly to the sea?
The author interprets this as a "return of the repressed," where Maria’s suppressed sexual and personal desire manifests in an abrupt, symbolic act that challenges her patriarchal upbringing and search for autonomy.
What does the "return of the cultural repressed" mean for the character Idriss?
For Idriss, it represents the resurfacing of traditional cultural influences that conflict with his modern aspirations, forcing him to live in a state of constant, unresolved tension between his past and his present.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Faical Gouaghou (Autor:in), 2014, "L'Homme Composite" and the Cultural Schizophrenic in Abdullah Laroui's "Al-Ghurba" and "Al-Yatim", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/299497
