You are on page 1of 23

)NTERNATIONAL*OURNALOF&RANCOPHONE3TUDIES6OLUME.

UMBERS
)NTELLECT,TD
!RTICLE%NGLISHLANGUAGEDOIIJFS?

$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH
)NVESTIGATINGTHEPOST COLONIALPAST
IN"OUALEM3ANSALS,E3ERMENTDES
BARBARES AND9ASMINA+HADRAS
,A0ARTDUMORT
,UCY"RISLEY5NIVERSITYOF/XFORD
!BSTRACT

4HISARTICLEEXAMINESHOWTHEPOSTCOLONIALDETECTIVENOVELSOF"OUALEM3ANSALAND
9ASMINA+HADRAENACTAFORMOFWORKINGTHROUGH!LGERIASPOST COLONIALPAST
)NCONTRASTTOTHEFREQUENTLYCITED&REUDIANMODELOFMOURNINGANDMELANCHOLIA
WORKING THROUGH IS CONCEIVED AS A SELF CRITICAL AND CONSCIOUS RESPONSE TO LOSS
THATESCHEWSBINARYLOGIC"UILDINGUPONRECENTSCHOLARSHIPTHATFIGURESWORKING
THROUGHASACRUCIALETHICALANDHISTORICALMODEL THISARTICLEANALYSESHOW3ANSALS
,E3ERMENTDESBARBARES AND+HADRAS,A0ARTDUMORT DEPLOY
THEDETECTIVEGENREASAMEANSOFINVESTIGATINGTHECONNECTIONSBETWEENTHECRIME
OFTHE!LGERIANWAROFANDTHECIVILWAROFTHES4HEIRNOVELS
UNEARTHREPRESSEDELEMENTSOF!LGERIASHISTORYAND INSEEKINGTOWORKTHROUGH
THEVICTIM PERPETRATORPARADIGM THEYOFFERANALTERNATIVETOTHEMODELOFCOMPET
ITIVE VICTIMHOOD THAT SOME  YEARS AFTER INDEPENDENCE CONTINUES TO DOMINATE
MEMORIESOFTHENATIONSPAST

2mSUMm

#ET ARTICLE EXAMINE COMMENT LES ROMANS POLICIERS DE "OUALEM 3ANSAL ET DE
9ASMINA +HADRA METTENT EN SCnNE UNE MANInRE DASSUMER LE PASSm DE L!LGmRIE
POST COLONIALE 0AR CONTRASTE AVEC LE MODnLE FREUDIEN FRmQUEMMENT INVOQUm DU
DEUILETDELAMmLANCOLIE LETRAVAILDEMmMOIREWORKINGTHROUGH ESTCONlUCOMME
UNERmPONSECONSCIENTEETAUTO CRITIQUEgLAPERTE QUImCHAPPEgLALOGIQUEBINAIRE
3APPUYANT SUR DES RECHERCHES RmCENTES QUI REPRmSENTENT LE TRAVAIL DE MmMOIRE
COMMEUNMODnLEHISTORIQUEETmTHIQUEFONDAMENTAL CETARTICLEANALYSECOMMENT
,E 3ERMENT DES BARBARES  DE 3ANSAL ET ,A 0ART DU MORT  DE
+HADRAUTILISENTLEGENREPOLICIERCOMMEUNMOYENDEXAMINERLESLIENSENTRELE
CRIME DE LA GUERRE D!LGmRIE ET LA GUERRE CIVILE DES ANNmES  ,EURS ROMANS
EXHUMENT DES mLmMENTS RmPRIMmS DE LHISTOIRE DE L!LGmRIE ET EN CHERCHANT g
DmPASSERLEPARADIGMEVICTIME BOURREAU ILSOFFRENTUNEALTERNATIVEgLACONCURRENCE
DESMmMOIRESQUI CINQUANTEANSAPRnSLINDmPENDANCE CONTINUEDESIMPOSERDANS
LESSOUVENIRSDUPASSmDELANATION

)*&3 PP)NTELLECT,TD



+EYWORDS

!LGERIA
DETECTIVEFICTION
WORKINGTHROUGH
MOURNING
3ANSAL
+HADRA

 4HEMOSTFAMOUS
CRITICOFMOURNING
ISARGUABLY*ACQUES
$ERRIDASEE IN
PARTICULAR "mLIERS,E
DIALOGUEININTERROMPU
ENTREDEUXINFINIS LE
POnME 

&ROMMOURNINGANDMELANCHOLIATOWORKINGTHROUGH

#URRENT DEBATE CONCERNING THE ETHICS OF MEMORY OFTEN CENTRES UPON THE
 &REUDIAN BINARY OF MOURNING AND MELANCHOLIA 7HILE 3IGMUND
&REUDPITTEDHEALTHYMOURNINGAGAINSTITSPATHOLOGICALCOUNTERPARTMELAN
CHOLIA MUCH RECENT POST &REUDIAN THEORY HAS SUBVERTED THIS DISTINCTION
CONDEMNINGMOURNINGFORTHEWAYINWHICHITENGENDERSAMNESIA&REUD
 4HISWIDESPREADRENUNCIATIONOFMOURNINGHASLEDTOTHE
 3EE FOREXAMPLE
CONCOMITANTRECONCEPTUALIZATIONOFMELANCHOLIAASANETHICALRESPONSETO
2ANJANA+HANNA
 3ARAH
LOSS SINCETHEEGOSPRESERVATIONOFTHELOSTOBJECTISINCREASINGLYREGARDED
"ROPHY 
AS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE THAT THWARTS ERASURE 9ET THIS CONTEMPORARY
$AVID,%NGAND
DEPATHOLOGIZATION OF GRIEF SYSTEMATICALLY OVERLOOKS MELANCHOLIAS MORE
3HINHEE(AN
  
INSIDIOUS ASPECTS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO NARCISSISM AND THE BLUR
RING OF SELF AND OTHER AGGRESSION TOWARDS THE OBJECT THAT MANIFESTS AS
 0AUL'ILROY
%NGLANDSPOST
AUTO FLAGELLATION ANDITSUNSETTLINGRELATIONSHIPTOTRAUMAANDDEPRESSION
IMPERIALMELANCHOLIA
-ELANCHOLIAS IMBRICATION IN VICTIMHOOD MOREOVER RISKS ENSNARING THE
PRESENTEDATTHE
INDIVIDUAL OR COLLECTIVE IN AN UNCONSCIOUS PROCESS OF REPETITION IN WHICH
/XFORD2ADICAL
&ORUM 7ADHAM
PAST TRAUMAS ARE MIMETICALLY ACTED OUT AD INFINITUM 0RECISELY BECAUSE
#OLLEGE ON-ARCH
MELANCHOLIA IS SEEN AS THE VERY CONDITION OF ETHICO POLITICAL AGENCY IT IS

DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE HOW AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP MIGHT ULTIMATELY TRAN
SCEND THE VICTIM SUBJECT POSITION THAT CONTEMPORARY THEORIZATIONS OF
MELANCHOLIAPARADOXICALLYPERPETUATEANDDENOUNCE
3INCE THEORETICAL RESPONSES TO HISTORICAL LOSS ARE FREQUENTLY LIMITED TO
EITHER MOURNING OR MELANCHOLIA CONTEMPORARY THEORY REMAINS IN THE
WORDS OF $OMINICK ,A#APRA CONFINED TO TWO EXTREMES TOTAL MASTERY
AND THE SHATTERING EFFECT OF AN ENDLESS REPETITION COMPULSION WITH THE
LATTER MANIFESTING ITSELF AS MELANCHOLIC OR MANIC ACTING OUT OF
POST TRAUMATICCONDITIONS,A#APRA 4HISDYADICLOGICISALSO
DISCERNIBLE IN SCHOLARLY DISCUSSIONS THAT DO NOT EXPLICITLY REFERENCE THE
&REUDIANMODELOFMOURNINGANDMELANCHOLIA)N&RANCE FORINSTANCE THE
NATIONS COLONIAL LEGACY AT TIMES FIGURED METONYMICALLY AS THE !LGERIA
QUESTIONISOFTENCONCEIVEDINDUALISTICTERMSTHOSEINFAVOUROFREPENT
ANCE ARE MIS CONSTRUED AS MELANCHOLIC SCHOLAR;S= WHO FOCUS SOLELY ON
THE PAST WHILE IN CONTRAST CRITICS LIKE $ANIEL ,EFEUVRE WOULD RATHER
ARCHIVE FORGET THE COLONIAL PAST ONCE AND FOR ALL 2OSELLO  
,EFEUVRE #RITIQUINGTHISDOUBLEBIND ,A#APRAARGUESTHATTHEREIS
NOINDICATIONOFFORMSOFWORKINGTHROUGHTHATCHECK ORGENERATECOUN
TERFORCESTO COMPULSIVEREPETITIONBUT;WHICH=ARENOTTANTAMOUNTTOTOTAL
MASTERY OR DEFINITIVE CLOSURE ,A#APRA    7HILE ,A#APRA
EMPLOYS THE TERM WORKING THROUGH IN A GENERALIZED MANNER HERE THE
CONCEPT HAS BEGUN TO PROVIDE STIMULUS FOR THEORISTS SEEKING TO MOVE
BEYOND THE REDUCTIVE &REUDIAN BINARISM )N A RECENT ANALYSIS OF &RENCH
AND!LGERIANMEMORIESOFCOLONIALISM FORINSTANCE -IREILLE2OSELLOINSISTS
UPON THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING THROUGH FOR CURRENT MEMORIAL DEBATE
2OSELLO    )N A  LECTURE ON "RITAINS POST IMPERIAL MELAN
CHOLIAATTHE5NIVERSITYOF/XFORD MOREOVER 0AUL'ILROYEMPHASIZEDTHE
IMPORTANCEOFTHECONCEPTTOHISTORICALCONSCIOUSNESSTHOUGH LIKE,A#APRA
BEFOREHIM HESTRESSEDTHATITREMAINSSOMEWHATUNDER DEVELOPEDINPOST
&REUDIANTHEORY,A#APRA %VENIN&REUDSCORPUSITWASNOT
DEVELOPED IN GREAT DETAIL APPEARING MOST PROMINENTLY IN HIS EARLY WORK
2EMEMBERING REPEATING AND WORKING THROUGH  ,A#APRA 


,UCY"RISLEY

 )NTHISESSAY WORKINGTHROUGHREFERSTOAPROCESSOFINDIVIDUALTRANS  4HISIDEOLOGYIS OF


COURSE NOTWITHOUT
FERENCE WITH&REUDREGARDINGITASACONSCIOUSMODEOFREMEMBRANCETHAT
ITSCHALLENGES-Y
COUNTERACTSTHEREPETITIONCOMPULSIONANDTHEACTINGOUTOFPASTTRAUMAS
POINTISNOTTHATTHE
!LGERIANPOPULATION
&REUD 
ASAWHOLEHAS
/WING PERHAPS TOTHEFACTTHAT&REUDDIDNOTEXPANDUPONTHECONCEPT
FORGOTTENORMIS
THE NOTION OF WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN TO WORK THROUGH THE PAST REMAINS
REMEMBEREDTHE
PAST BUTTHATTHE
UNCLEAR7RITINGSEVERALDECADESAGO PSYCHOANALYSTSALLUDEDTOTHEBLUR
&,.GOVERNMENTHAS
RING OF THE CONCEPT OF WORKING THROUGH AN AMBIGUITY WHICH OSTENSIBLY
ATTEMPTEDTOFABRICATE
PERSISTSTOTHISDAY3ANDERETAL 2OSELLOCONTENDSTHATWORK
HISTORYVIAPROCESSES
OFMOURNINGAND
INGTHROUGHISPOTENTIALLYAMBIGUOUS2OSELLO WHILE-ICHAEL
MEMORIALIZATION
"EINTKER REFERS TO IT AS AN AMBIGUOUS PHRASE "EINTKER   
4HOUGH THEY UNDERSCORE THE AMBIVALENCE OF THE CONCEPT HOWEVER
"EINTKER 2OSELLOAND,A#APRAALLRETURNTO4HEODOR!DORNOSSEMINALUSE
OFTHETERMIN4HEMEANINGOFWORKINGTHROUGHTHEPAST!DORNO 
4HROUGHOUT THIS ARTICLE !DORNO PAINSTAKINGLY ARGUES THAT ALTHOUGH
WORKINGTHROUGHISOFTENMISCONSTRUEDANDINSTRUMENTALIZEDASAJUSTIFICA
TIONFORABANDONINGONESETHICALOBLIGATIONTOWARDSHISTORY ITISNOTAKIN
TOAPROCESSOFSURMOUNTINGTHEPAST!DORNOINSTEADSUGGESTSTHATWORK
ING THROUGH REFERS TO A SUSTAINED PROCESS OF WORKING UPON HISTORY THAT
SEEKS TO UNEARTH UNCONSCIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE PAST THAT THREATEN TO
RE EMERGEHAUNTINGLYASTHERETURNOFTHEREPRESSED THATIS ASTHE&REUDIAN
UNHEIMLICHOFHISTORY!DORNO 7ORKINGTHROUGHISTHUSPARTICU
LARLY PERTINENT TO POSTCOLONIAL !LGERIA A COUNTRY WHICH BLIGHTED BY THE
HORRORS OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE OF  AND THE DEVASTATING
CIVIL WAR OF THE S HAS YET TO PUBLICALLY FACE UP TO THE HORRORS OF ITS
PAST 3EVERAL SCHOLARS HAVE NOTED THE MANNER IN WHICH ELEMENTS OF THE
GUERRED!LGmRIE RESURFACED UNCANNILY DURING THE VIOLENCE OF THE CIVIL WAR
%VANS AND 0HILLIPS   (IDDLESTON   -C$OUGALL 
 "ARCLAY   A PHENOMENON THAT LEFT HISTORIAN "ENJAMIN
3TORAWONDERING,EPAYSEST IL ALORS ENTRmDANSUNESECONDEETMoME
GUERRED!LGmRIE3TORA 4HECONTROVERSIAL!LGERIANAMNESTY
OF  LIKE THE %VIAN !CCORDS OF  HAS SERVED MERELY TO BURY THE
PAST DEEPER WITHIN THE NATIONAL PSYCHE RISKING THE POSSIBILITY THAT ITS
REPRESSEDELEMENTSMIGHT ONCEAGAIN RETURNTOHAUNTTHEPRESENT
!S!LGERIAMARKSITSTHYEARASANINDEPENDENTNATION APROCESSOF
WORKING THROUGH IS AS CRUCIAL AS EVER 4HE &RONT DE LIBmRATION NATIONALE
&,. IN POWER SINCE  HAS SYSTEMATICALLY MANIPULATED HISTORY
CONSTRUCTING A MYTHOLOGICAL NARRATIVE OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE THAT
GOESHANDINHANDWITHPUBLICMODESOFMOURNINGTHATHONOURTHEPUTA
TIVE MARTYRS OF THE GUERRE SANS NOM WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY ERASING THE
COMPLEXITIESOFTHEPAST)TISIMPORTANTTONOTE THEN THATFOR,A#APRA
2OSELLO AND "EINTKER WORKING THROUGH IS NOT A FINITE OR TANGIBLE GOAL
THAT LIKE MOURNING MIGHT ENGENDER AMNESIA INSTEAD IT IS A PERPETUAL
PROCESS OF WORKING UPON THAT ALSO RESISTS THE UNCONSCIOUS AND MELAN
CHOLICREPETITIONOFTHEPAST#OUNTERINGTHECONCEPTUALIZATIONOFWORKING
THROUGH AS MOVING ON "EINTKER ARGUES THAT 7ORKING THROUGH IS NOT
WORKING AWAY FROM THE PAST BUT RATHER A CONSCIOUS AND INTENTIONAL
REMEMBERING WHICH RESISTS TURNING INTO A COMMEMORATIVE ROUTINE A
RITUALWHICHENTAILSNOFURTHEROBLIGATION"EINTKER ORIGINAL
EMPHASIS ,A#APRASIMILARLYCLAIMSTHAT 7ORKINGTHROUGHTHEPAST;=
$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH



;IS= A PROCESS NOT AN ACCOMPLISHED STATE ,A#APRA   WHILE


2OSELLO PARAPHRASING!DORNO CONTENDSTHAT
;WORKINGTHROUGH=DOESNOTHAVETOBEABREAKINGFREEFROMTHEPASTBUTA
RECOGNITIONTHATLIVINGWITHTHEEVER PRESENTPASTISUNAVOIDABLE THAT THERE
FORE THE PRESENT IS THIS SO CALLED PAST OF VIOLENCE AND GUILT BUT ALSO THAT A
WELCOMINGOFTHATHERITAGEDOESNOTMEANTHATWEMUSTREPRODUCEIT
2OSELLO

7ORKINGTHROUGHTHUSACTIVELYRESISTSTHEPALLIATIVESNORMALLYASSOCIATED
WITH MOURNING THOUGH EQUALLY IT DOES NOT DENY THE TRAUMATIC EVENT
ACKNOWLEDGINGTHATTRACESOFTHEPASTWILLALWAYSREMAIN
7ORKING THROUGH MIGHT ALSO PROVIDE A MEANS OF CIRCUMVENTING THE
MELANCHOLIC VICTIMHOOD PARADIGM WHICH AFFLICTS CURRENT MNEMONIC
DISCOURSE /N AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS SUGGESTS &REUD VICTIMHOOD ARISES
BECAUSE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MELANCHOLIC SUBJECT AND THE LOST
OTHER IS AMBIVALENT AND BASED ON PRIOR TENSIONS &REUD   
!STHESUBJECTINCORPORATESTHELOSTOBJECT HETHENPROCEEDSTOTREATHIMSELF
ASTHEOTHER ENTERINGINTOANON GOINGPROCESSOFAUTO CRITIQUETHATCULMI
NATESINADELUSIONALEXPECTATIONOFPUNISHMENTANDEVENSUICIDE&REUD
 4HEGRIEVINGSUBJECT WHOSEAPPEALTOVICTIMHOODCANONLYBE
SUSTAINEDTHROUGHAPERPETUATIONOFTHISDEBILITATINGSTATE ISTHUSBOTHA
VICTIM OF HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCE AND A VICTIM OF HIS OWN ATTACHMENT TO
PAST OBJECTS OR SYMBOLS 4HE CONTEMPORARY DEPATHOLOGIZATION OF MELAN
CHOLIAPROPAGATESTHISAPORIATHEMELANCHOLICSUBJECTCANONLYGAINPOLIT
ICALVISIBILITYINSOFARASHEMAINTAINSHISVICTIMSTATUSATALLCOSTS
3TORAUNDERSCORESTHEWIDERCOROLLARYOFTHISPOLITICALAPPEALTOVICTIM
HOODWHEN INADISCUSSIONOF&RANCO !LGERIANMEMORIESOFTHEWAROFINDE
PENDENCE HEARGUESTHATEACHGROUPISEMBROILEDDANSUNECOMPmTITIONDU
STATUT DE LA MEILLEURE VICTIME OF HISTORY 3TORA    4HIS APPEAL TO
VICTIMHOOD WHICH&ATIMA.AQVIREGARDSASCHARACTERISTICOFTHECONTEMPO
RARYERA.AQVI HASALSOBEENCRITIQUEDBY-ICHAEL2OTHBERG
WHOSE MONOGRAPH -ULTIDIRECTIONAL -EMORY ADDRESSES ONE OF THE MOST
AGONIZING PROBLEMS OF CONTEMPORARY MULTICULTURAL SOCIETIES HOW TO THINK
ABOUTTHERELATIONSHIPBETWEENDIFFERENTSOCIALGROUPSHISTORIESOFVICTIMIZA
TION 2OTHBERG    2OTHBERGS ANALYSIS STEMS FROM HIS OBSERVATION
THATTHE(OLOCAUSTISOFTENCONCEIVEDASAFOUNDINGTRAUMAAGAINSTWHICH
ALLOTHERTRAUMATICMEMORIES INCLUDINGDECOLONIZATION INEVITABLYCOMPETE
6ICTIMSOFTENSTRUGGLEFORPOLITICALVISIBILITYANDRECOGNITION VYINGFORFORMS
OFPUBLICMEMORIALIZATIONTHATAFFIRMTHEIRVICTIMHOODANDITSCONCOMITANT
CLAIMTOLEGITIMACY/NEMAJORCONSEQUENCEOFTHISISTHAT ASMELANCHOLIC
VICTIMHOODFORECLOSESINTER SUBJECTIVERELATIONS EACHGROUPBECOMESINCREAS
INGLYISOLATED6ICTIMIZATIONPROVESNOTTOBETHEBESTGROUNDSFORSOLIDARITY
SINCEPROCESSESOFVICTIMIZATIONTAKEMULTIPLE CONTRADICTORYFORMSANDERODE
THEBASISOFSELFHOODNECESSARYFORRELATIONSHIPWITHOTHERS2OTHBERG
 4HISISTHEBASISOF-OHAMMED(ARBISAND3TORASANALYSISOFMEMO
RIES OF THE GUERRED!LGmRIE BOTH HISTORIANS CRITIQUE IN 2OSELLOS WORDS THE
WAYINWHICHEACHGROUPISATTACHEDTOTHEIROWNMELANCHOLICVERSIONOF
THEIR OWN PAST AND BENT ON DEFENDING THEIR OWN SENSE OF VICTIMIZATION
2OSELLO &OCUSEDONPRESERVINGTHEIROWNNARRATIVEOFTHEPAST


,UCY"RISLEY

GROUPS SUCH AS THE PIEDS NOIRS OR THE HARKIS REMAIN IMPERVIOUS TO MORE  )TISIMPORTANTTO
NOTETHAT2OTHBERGS
COMPLEXACCOUNTSOFTHE!LGERIANWAROFINDEPENDENCE
UNDERSTANDINGOF
7ORKINGTHROUGH CONVERSELY MIGHTENABLEGROUPSANDINDIVIDUALSTO
MULTIDIRECTIONAL
MEMORYASWORKING
MOVEBEYONDTHEVICTIMHOODPARADIGM)MAGINEDBY,A#APRAASENABLING
THROUGHISINDEBTED
A HYBRIDIZED AND NON FETISHISTIC NARRATIVE OF THE PAST THE PROCESS OF
TO,A#APRA
WORKING THROUGH FORGES INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT GROUPS AND
 -OREOVER HIS
ACCOUNTOFMEMORY
ESCHEWSREDUCTIVEANDSINGULARACCOUNTSOFHISTORY,A#APRA 
AS AFORMOFWORK
)NTHISWAY WORKINGTHROUGHHASPARALLELSWITH2OTHBERGSMODELOFMULTI
WORKINGTHROUGH
DIRECTIONAL MEMORY WHICH PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING HOW
LABOR ORACTION
 CLEARLY
DIFFERENTMEMORIESAREINTERRELATED
!GAINST THE FRAMEWORK THAT UNDERSTANDS COLLECTIVE MEMORY AS COMPETITIVE
MEMORYASAZERO SUMSTRUGGLEOVERSCARCERESOURCES)SUGGESTTHATWE
CONSIDERMEMORYASMULTIDIRECTIONALASSUBJECTTOONGOINGNEGOTIATION CROSS
REFERENCING ANDBORROWINGASPRODUCTIVEANDNOTPRIVATIVE
2OTHBERG ORIGINALEMPHASIS

RECALLS!DORNOS
NOTIONOFWORKING
THROUGHASARIGOROUS
MODEOFWORKING
UPONTHEPAST

 9ASMINA+HADRA
ISTHENOMDE
PLUMEOF!LGERIAN
AUTHOR-OHAMMED
-OULESSEHOUL

4HE EMPHASIS IS NOT ON HOW EACH GROUP FASHIONS ITSELF IN CONTRAST TO THE
OTHER BUT ON THE ENTANGLEMENT BETWEEN DIFFERENT COMMUNAL MEMORIES  *EAN #HRISTOPHE
$ELMEULEHASSTRESSED
THUS CIRCUMVENTING THE LIMITATIONS OF THE COUNTER DISCURSIVE MEMORIAL
THEIMPORTANCEOF
PARADIGMSTHATARESOPREVALENTTODAY2OSELLO )NDEED IFMEMO
THETROPEOFDEATHTO
RIES ARE NOT IN COMPETITION WITH ONE ANOTHER THE NEED FOR A POLITICS OF
+HADRASOEUVREAT
LARGE 
MELANCHOLIA IS RADICALLY DIMINISHED 2ATHER THAN ECLIPSING MARGINALIZED
GROUPSFROMTHEPUBLICREALM CONVENTIONALLYDOMINANTNARRATIVESBECOME
INVOLVEDINTHOSEOFMINORITYGROUPS CONSTITUTINGTHEMATTHESAMETIMEAS
THEYARECONSTITUTEDBYTHEM)NWORKINGTHROUGHPROBLEMATICPARADIGMS
OFVICTIMHOODANDVICTIMIZATION SUCHAMODELMIGHTALSOALLOWFORPLURAL
IZED NARRATIVES OF THE PAST THAT BEGIN TO DECONSTRUCT THE BINARY BETWEEN
VICTIMANDPERPETRATOR APROCESSVIEWEDBY,A#APRAASESSENTIALTOWORK
INGTHROUGH,A#APRA 4HETRANSCENDENCEOFTHESEROLESISVITAL
NOT ONLY BECAUSE VICTIMS OF TRAUMA TEND TO REMAIN IMMOBILIZED IN THEIR
SUBJECTPOSITIONS BUTALSOBECAUSEVICTIMS ACTINGOUTOFADESIREFORREVENGE
CANSOMETIMESBECOMEPERPETRATORS6ANDER-ERWEAND'OBODO -ADIKIZELA
VIII -ODESOFWORKINGTHROUGHARETHUSASMUCHCONCERNEDWITH
ELABORATINGCRITICALANDHYBRIDACCOUNTSOFTHEPASTASTHEYAREWITHSEEK
INGETHICALWAYSOFLIMITINGTHEMELANCHOLICCYCLEOFVIOLENCEINCOUNTRIES
THAT LIKE!LGERIA HAVEEXPERIENCEDHISTORICALTRAUMA

$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH

4HE RECENT DETECTIVE FICTION OF !LGERIAN NOVELISTS 9ASMINA +HADRA AND
"OUALEM 3ANSAL SIGNALS THE NEED FOR MODES OF WORKING THROUGH THE PAST
THAT TRANSCEND THE LIMITATIONS OF THE &REUDIAN BINARY OF MOURNING AND
MELANCHOLIA4HISARTICLETHUSEXPLORESHOWTHEDETECTIVENOVELSOF+HADRA
AND3ANSALENACTAFORMOFWORKINGUPONTHEPASTTHATREADSASACONSCIOUSLY
ENGAGED AND ON GOING FORM OF MEMORIALIZATION $ETECTIVE FICTION IS TYPI
CALLY CONCERNED WITH ISSUES OF DEATH TRUTH JUSTICE AND RESOLUTION AND
THUSITFIGURESASAUSEFULPOINTOFDEPARTUREFOREXPLORINGEMERGENTMODES
OF WORKING THROUGH THE TRAUMAS OF !LGERIAN HISTORY )F PSYCHOANALYTICAL
THEORYANDDETECTIVEFICTIONHAVEOVERLAPPEDSINCE&REUDIANPSYCHOANALYSIS
WAS POPULARIZED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (OUPPERMANS
$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH



 )NANADDRESSTO
LAWSTUDENTSATTHE
5NIVERSITYOF6IENNA
IN&REUD
EXPLICITLYARTICULATED
HISINDEBTEDNESS
TODETECTIVEFICTION
 
 3EE FOREXAMPLE
*ULIA+RISTEVA WHOSE
DETECTIVENOVEL
,E6IEILHOMMEETLES
LOUPS WAS
WRITTENINRESPONSE
TOTHEASSASSINATION
OFHERFATHERINA
"ULGARIANHOSPITAL

 TODAYTHEPSYCHOANALYTICALPROJECTREMAINSHAUNTEDBYITSPREVI
OUSCONFIGURATIONINDETECTIVEFICTIONFFRENCH )NDEED PSYCHO
ANALYSISHASALWAYSGESTUREDTOWARDSTHESTRUCTUREOFTHEDETECTIVENOVEL
AND IT IS WIDELY KNOWN THAT &REUD WAS AN AVID READER OF !RTHUR #ONAN
$OYLES3HERLOCK(OLMESMYSTERIES(OWE /RIGINALLY ATLEAST BOTH
DISCOURSESSOUGHTTOUNCOVERANDDECODEDISCURSIVECLUESWHETHERUNCON
SCIOUSORTANGIBLEINORDERTOSITUATETHEMWITHINALARGERFRAMEWORKTHAT
MIGHTENGENDERSYMBOLICCLOSURE"ROOKS 
4YPICALLY INBOTHDETECTIVEFICTIONANDPSYCHOANALYSIS THESUTURINGOF
DISPARATEREFERENTSANDTHETRANSLATIONOFCODESLEDTOTHEREVELATIONOFA
HIDDENTRUTH!S0ATRICKFFRENCHPUTSIT BOTHINEVITABLYENDUPPOSINGA
SEMANTIC CORE A TRUTH THE MEANING OF DISCOURSES FFRENCH   
4HISTRUTHISATTAINEDVIAAMETICULOUSEXCURSIONINTOTHEPAST CONCEPTUAL
IZED BY &REUD AS A FORM OF ARCHAEOLOGY (E FAMOUSLY ARGUED THAT THE
PSYCHOANALYST LIKE THE ARCHAEOLOGIST MUST UNCOVER LAYER AFTER LAYER OF
THE PATIENTS PSYCHE BEFORE COMING TO THE DEEPEST MOST VALUABLE TREAS
URES0ANKEJEFF 4HEMINDISCONCEIVEDASATIMEWORN ALMOST
PRIMEVAL CRYPT IN WHICH REPRESSED MEMORIES DEPOSITED DEEP BELOW THE
SURFACE MUSTBEEXCAVATEDANDANALYSEDALONGASPATIO LINEARTRAJECTORY
(OWE 0SYCHOANALYSIS DEFINEDBY0AUL2ICURASTHEREVELATIONOF
THEARCHAIC ISTHUSINFORMEDBYTHEBELATEDRETURNTOTHEPASTTHATSTRUC
TURESDETECTIVENARRATIVESANDARCHAEOLOGY2ICUR !ND
IF THE SO CALLED TALKING CURE SEEKS TO REHABILITATE THE SUBJECT AND TO
RE ESTABLISHTHESELFASAPUTATIVEWHOLE RATHERTHANAFRAGMENTARY BEING
(ETA 0YRHyNEN SIMILARLY ARGUES THAT DETECTIVE FICTION EXPLICITLY SAVOURS
THE NARRATIVE NATURE OF THE EXPLANATORY PROCESS !FTER ALL IN THIS GENRE
REACHINGASOLUTIONMEANSTHEABILITYTOPUTTOGETHERAMOREORLESSCOHER
ENTLYANDPLAUSIBLYEMPLOTTEDACCOUNTOFPASTEVENTSTHESOLUTIONEQUALS
NARRATIVE0YRHyNEN ORIGINALEMPHASIS 4HEHIDDENTRUTHTHUS
EMERGESASELEMENTSAREPIECEDTOGETHERINATELEOLOGICALMANNER
)FDETECTIVEFICTIONORIGINALLYSERVEDASAMEDIUMOFCONSERVATISM PURG
ING SOCIETY OF ITS CRIMINAL ELEMENTS AND RESTORING SOCIAL ORDER 3CAGGS
-ALTI $OUGLAS THEGENREHASSINCEBEENDEPLOYEDTO
CRITIQUENORMATIVEPARADIGMS0ARTICULARLYINTHEAFTERMATHOFAND
ITSDISCONTENTS THENmO POLAREMERGEDIN&RANCEASACRITICALVOICE SHIFTING
THE DETECTIVES GAZE AWAY FROM INDIVIDUAL CRIMES TO AN INTERROGATION OF
SOCIAL HISTORICALANDPOLITICALCONTEXTS'ORRORA#ANU 
7HILETHEIDENTIFICATIONOFTRAUMAHASALWAYSFORMEDTHEBASISOFPSYCHOL
OGY FFRENCHALSOPERCEIVESARECENTSHIFTINDETECTIVEFICTION WHEREBYTHE
FOCUSISONTHEEMERGENCEOFATRAUMATICEVENTRATHERTHANONTHEEMER
GENCEOFAPARTICULARTRUTH
0SYCHOANALYSISSEEMSTOHAVEBECOMEAHIDDENORACKNOWLEDGEDSUBTEXTFOR
THEDETECTIVE WHOISNOWNOTSOMUCHINSEARCHOFTHETRUTHOFTHECRIMEHE
ORSHEISINVESTIGATING ASINSEARCHOFTHETRUTHORTRAUMAOFAPAST OFTENHIS
ORHEROWNPAST
FFRENCH 

)F IN SOME NARRATIVES THE TRAUMA IN QUESTION IS EXAMINED THROUGH A
PROTAGONISTS INDIVIDUALIZED EXPERIENCE OF THE EVENT DETECTIVE NOVELS


,UCY"RISLEY

INCREASINGLYMAPOUTCOMPLEXSOCIO POLITICALANDHISTORICALCONFIGURATIONS  4HEDETECTIVEFICTION


OF$IDIER$AENINCKX
OFTEN REVEALING HOW LARGE SCALE TRAUMAS HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED BY THE
FORINSTANCE HAS
AUTHORITIES$AVID&RASER FORINSTANCE ASSERTSTHATTHEPRIVATEDETECTIVE
CENTREDUPON
THEEMERGENCEOF
HAS BECOME A SORT OF PUBLIC EYE CASTING HIS INVESTIGATIVE GAZE INTO
SEEMINGLYDISPARATE
THE SHADOWS OF OFFICIAL HISTORY IN ORDER TO REVEAL A NEW TRUTH ABOUT
YETINTERCONNECTED
POWER AND MEMORY &RASER    4HE TRAUMAS AND LARGE SCALE
HISTORIESTHATPRODUCE
LINKSBETWEENTHE
CRIMES INVESTIGATEDBYTHEDETECTIVESINTHENmO POLARAREFIRMLYENSCONCED
HISTORIESOF&RENCH
WITHINAPARTICULARHISTORICALCONTEXT ALLOWINGFORANINTERROGATIONOFTHE
DECOLONIZATIONAND
SOCIALPRACTICESANDIDEOLOGIESTHATALLOWEDTHEMTOOCCUR)F;Q=UESTIONS
&RANCESROLEINTHE
(OLOCAUST3ILVERMAN
OF NARRATIVE AND HISTORY ARE WRITTEN INTO THE VERY FABRIC OF CRIME FICTION
 
'ORRORA AUTHORSEXPLOITTHEDETECTIVEGENREINORDERTOELICIT
TRAUMATICHISTORIESANDMEMORIESTHATHAVEBEENPARTIALLYERASEDORWHICH
PERSISTASABSENTPRESENCES OFTENRESITUATINGTHEMWITHINATRANSNATIONAL
PERSPECTIVETHATFORGESNEWETHICALANDHISTORIOGRAPHICALUNDERSTANDINGS
OFTHEPASTANDITSRELATIONTOTHEPRESENT
#RITICSHAVEALSORECOGNIZEDNEWFORMSOFPOSTCOLONIALDETECTIVEFICTION
THATSHAREMANYOFTHEFEATURESOFTHENmO POLAR%D#HRISTIAN IN4HE0OST
#OLONIAL $ETECTIVE FOR INSTANCE PLACES EMPHASIS UPON THE WAY DETECTIVES
FREQUENTLYPROCEEDFROMTHEINTERROGATIONOFSUSPECTSTOTHEINTERROGATION
OFSOCIETY)NDIVIDUALCRIMECOMESTOBESEENASASYMPTOMOF RESULTOF OR
REACTION TO BASIC FLAWS IN THE POLITICAL SOCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS
#HRISTIAN 3IMILARLY THEEDITORSOF0OSTCOLONIAL0OSTMORTEMSARGUE
THATINPOSTCOLONIALDETECTIVEFICTIONTHESOCIALORDERISNOLONGERRESTORED
BUT QUESTIONED THROUGH ALTERNATIVE NOTIONS OF JUSTICE -ATZKE AND
-UEHLEISEN 4HISPOLITICALLYAWARESUBSETOFDETECTIVEFICTIONTENDS
TOESCHEWANYFORMOFCLOSURETHATMIGHTLENDITSELFTOTOTALIZINGFRAMESOF
REFERENCEORINDEEDTOTHEFORGETTINGOFPASTCRIMES SEEKINGTOCHALLENGETHE
STATUSQUORATHERTHANIMPOSEANEWONE4HISLACKOFCLOSUREALSOSPEAKS
OFCOURSE TOTHEUNRESOLVEDNATUREOFMANYOFTHESOCIO POLITICALCONTEXTS
WHICH INFORM THE NARRATIVES SUGGESTING ALSO THAT WORKING THROUGH THE
PAST IS AN INTERMINABLE PROJECT 'ODSLAND   4HE RECENT DETECTIVE
NOVELSOF3ANSALAND+HADRACANBELOCATEDATTHEINTERSECTIONOFTHE&RENCH
NmO POLARANDEMERGENTFORMSOFPOSTCOLONIALDETECTIVEFICTION"OTHAUTHORS
EXPLOIT THE GENRE TO INVESTIGATE THE HAUNTING LEGACY OF THE !LGERIAN 7AR
ANDTOCRITIQUETHEOFFICIALMEMORYPUTFORTHBYTHE&,."UILDINGONTHE
LEGACYOFTHENmO POLAR THEYREJECTPALLIATIVESANDNARRATIVECLOSUREINFAVOUR
OFAMODELOFMEMORIALIZATIONTHATSEEKSTOOPENUPHISTORICALINTERCONNEC
TIONSRATHERTHANREDUCETHEMTOTHEKINDOFHOMOGENOUSNARRATIVESTYPI
CALOFNATIONALISTDISCOURSE)NTHEIRTIRELESSEXAMINATIONOFTHECONNECTIONS
BETWEEN THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE AND THE CIVIL WAR THE NOVELS UNVEIL
)VENTURE ACRITICALMODELOFWORKINGUPONTHEPASTTHATIS INPART ABLUE
PRINTFORREMEMBERING)NOTHERWORDS 3ANSALAND+HADRAINVARIABLYPLACE
LESSEMPHASISONWHATISUNEARTHEDTHANTHEYDOONHOWTHEINFORMATIONIS
ELICITED ULTIMATELYENCOURAGINGTHEREADERTOCONTINUETHEDIFFICULTPROCESS
OFWORKINGTHROUGHTHEPASTLONGAFTERTHEFINALPAGEHASBEENTURNED

0OSTCOLONIAL!LGERIASMEMORYWARS

"OTH 2OSELLO AND ,A#APRA HAVE SOUGHT TO IDENTIFY NARRATOLOGICAL FORMS
THATMIGHTINITIATEMODESOFWORKINGTHROUGH.OTABLY INTHECONCLUSION
TOHERMONOGRAPH 4HE2EPARATIVEIN.ARRATIVES 2OSELLOINVOKESTHE
$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH



&RENCH DETECTIVE SERIES 0* 3AINT -ARTIN +RIVINE AND 0ODROZNIK 
ARGUING THAT ONE OF THE PROGRAMMES FIGURES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
!LGERIAAND&RANCEINSUCHAWAYTHATTHECOMPLICATEDWEAVEOFMEMO
RIAL THREADS ;= CAN NO LONGER BE REDUCED TO A MOSAIC OF NARRATIVES THAT
EACH EMANATE SUPPOSEDLY MONOLITHICALLY FROM A GIVEN COMMUNITY
2OSELLO    4HIS DESCRIPTION MIGHT WELL BE APPLIED TO 3ANSALS
DEBUT NOVEL ,E 3ERMENT DES BARBARES  SET IN THE !LGERIAN TOWN OF
2OUIBA DURING THE RECENT CIVIL WAR 4HE NARRATIVE IS INSTIGATED BY THE
DEATHSOF-OHAMMED,EKBIR AFRAUDULENTENTREPRENEURKNOWNLOCALLYAS
3I-OH AND!BDALLAH"AKOUR ALOCALMANWHOTENDSTOTHEMAUSOLEUM
OF THE PIED NOIR 6ILLETTA FAMILY IN THE TOWNS %UROPEAN CEMETERY 7HILE
!BDALLAHISFOUNDDEADINHISABODEWITHHISTHROATSLIT 3I-OHISDISCOV
EREDBYHISFAMILYINHISBUREAU HAVINGBEENSHOTSIXTIMESINTHEFLANK
ANDTHENTWICEFROMABOVE BEFOREBEINGSTABBEDINTHEHEART'IVENTHE
OSTENSIBLYRANDOMVIOLENCEOFTHE)SLAMICEXTREMISTS HISASSASSINATIONIS
IMMEDIATELYATTRIBUTEDTORELIGIOUSBARBUS#ONVERSELY THESUBALTERNFIGURE
OF!BDALLAHISDEEMED INTHEWORDSOF*UDITH"UTLER UNGRIEVABLE ANDHIS
CASEISONLYPURSUEDBECAUSETHENOVELSDETECTIVE3I,ARBIOPERATESACCORD
INGTOAPERSONALCODEOFETHICS"UTLER 
4HOUGH2OUIBASPOLICEFORCEISEAGERTOASSIGNTHECASETOTHEARCHIVES
,ARBIREMAINSCONVINCEDTHATTHEUNTIMELYDEATHSOF-OHAND!BDALLAHARE
INTERCONNECTED AND HIS SEARCH FOR THE NEXUS BETWEEN THEM PROPELS THE
NARRATIVE%MPIRICALCLUESLEADHIMTOREALIZETHATTHESOLUTIONTOTHECRIMES
CANNOT BE FOUND IN THE PRESENT BUT MUST BE SOUGHT IN !LGERIAS PAST "Y
REINTERPRETING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF -OHS WOUNDS FOR INSTANCE HE COMPRE
HENDSTHATTHEASSASSINATIONOCCURREDDANSUNEDISCRmTIONBOURGEOISE AVEC
UNSANG FROIDIMPIETHATRUNSCOUNTERTOTHETHEATRICALSPECTACLEDELAMORT
INHERENTTO)SLAMISTVIOLENCE3ANSAL  #ONTENDINGTHAT
3ILEPRmSENTNEDITRIEN INTERROGERLEPASSmESTLAVOIE ,ARBISSEARCHFORTHE
MOTIVE BEHIND -OHS DEATH PROPELS HIM TOWARDS ;U=NE HISTOIRE QUI
COMMENCEEN ENPLEINEGUERRED!LGmRIE3ANSAL  
4HE NARRATIVE THUS FOLLOWS AN ANTI LINEAR TRAJECTORY THAT MOVES FROM THE
CIVILWARBACKTOTHEORIGINARYTRAUMATHEWAROFINDEPENDENCE
)N+HADRASNOVEL ,A0ARTDUMORT WHICHISSETIN!LGIERSINTHE
LATESJUSTASSOCIO ECONOMICUNRESTISBEGINNINGTOENGENDERVIOLENCE
"RAHIM ,LOBS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IS INSTIGATED BY THE PRESIDENTIAL
RELEASEOF3ANSNOMPATRONYMIQUE3.0 FROMANASYLUM3.0SSUBSEQUENT
ATTEMPTTOMURDER(AJ4HORBANE WHO LIKE3I-OH ISACORRUPTYETDOMI
NANT FIGURE WITHIN THE UPPER ECHELONS OF !LGERIAN SOCIETY TRIGGERS AN
INVESTIGATION INTO 4HORBANES PAST THAT ULTIMATELY IMPLICATES HIM IN THE
&,.S MASSACRE OF THE HARKIS FOLLOWING THE %VIAN !CCORDS OF  4HE
ORIGINAL DETECTIVE NARRATIVE IS THUS SUBSUMED WITHIN A LARGER HISTORICAL
ENQUIRY.OUSTRAVAILLONSSURUNOUVRAGEHISTORIQUE;=0ARTICULInREMENT
SUR LES DmRAPAGES QUI ONT ENSANGLANTm LE PAYS AU LENDEMAIN DU  JUILLET
+HADRA !SIN3ANSALSNARRATIVE CERTAINCLUESCANONLY
BE INTERPRETED IF THEY ARE SITUATED WITHIN A LARGER HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK
ECHOING,A#APRASVIEWTHAT
WORKINGTHROUGH ASITRELATES;=TOTHEELABORATIONOFACRITICALHISTORIOGRA
PHY REQUIRESTHEEFFORTTOACHIEVECRITICALDISTANCEONEXPERIENCETHROUGHA


,UCY"RISLEY

COMPARISONOFEXPERIENCESANDTHROUGHARECONSTRUCTIONOFLARGERCONTEXTS
THATHELPTOINFORMANDPERHAPSTOTRANSFORMEXPERIENCE
,A#APRA

7ORKINGTHROUGHTHEPASTTHUSMARKSANATTEMPTTOEXPANDUPONHISTORI
CAL OR MEMORIAL NARRATIVES IN ORDER TO QUESTION AND MODIFY SINGULAR
ACCOUNTSOFHISTORYANDTOGAINDIFFERENTPERSPECTIVESONTHEPRESENT)N,A
0ARTDUMORT FORINSTANCE ,LOBDISCOVERSTHATONEOFHISWITNESSES
4AREK:OUBIR HASBEENHANGEDANDHISNOSEHASBEENCUTOFF
%N!LGmRIE LENEZESTLORGANEDELAFIERTm$URANTLAGUERREDINDmPENDANCE
LESMAQUISARDSTRANCHAIENTLENEZDECEUXQUILSCONSIDmRAIENTCOMMEFmLONS
AVANTDELESFAIREDmFILERDANSLESRUESPOURQUELESGENSENTIRENTLESENSEIGNE
MENTSQUISIMPOSENT,ASIGNATUREETLEMESSAGEmTAIENTCLAIRS gLmPOQUE
#ESTDELESVOIRRESURGIRVINGT SIXANSAPRnSQUIMETARABUSTE
+HADRA

4HE SYMBOLIC ACT OF VIOLENCE RE EMERGES MIMETICALLY AS AN ANACHRONISTIC
TRACEFROMTHEWAROFINDEPENDENCE ANDTHOUGHITSSIGNIFICANCEWITHINTHE
PRESENT INITIALLY REMAINS UNCLEAR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PAST ENABLES ,LOB TO
HISTORICIZE HIS INVESTIGATION #RITICAL TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRESENT IS
THUS WHAT ,ARBI REFERS TO AS THE FACTEUR CLm LA DIMENSION HISTORIQUE QUI
ASSEMBLELESFAITSETLEURDONNEEMPENNAGEETMOTRICITm3ANSAL 
4HECONNECTIONSBETWEENHISTORIOGRAPHYANDWORKINGTHROUGHOUTLINED
BY ,A#APRA AND 2OSELLO ARE DEVELOPED THROUGHOUT THE DETECTIVE FICTION OF
3ANSAL AND +HADRA ,LOBS INVESTIGATION INTO 3.0S PAST IS FACILITATED BY
3ORIA +ARADACH A HISTORIAN OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE WHILE 3I ,ARBIS
CHIEFINTERLOCUTORISAHISTORIANNAMED(AMIDI REVEALINGTHECENTRALITYOF
EMERGENTHISTORIESTOTHEAUTHORSLITERARYPROJECTS!CCORDINGTO!DORNOS
&REUDIAN ANALYSIS OF WORKING THROUGH HISTORICAL ACCOUNTABILITY COUPLED
WITHACRITICALKNOWLEDGEOFTHEPAST ISTHEONLYWAYTOTRANSCENDREPETITIVE
CYCLESOFVIOLENCE4HEPASTWILLHAVEBEENWORKEDTHROUGHONLYWHENTHE
CAUSES OF WHAT HAPPENED HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED /NLY BECAUSE THE CAUSES
CONTINUETOEXISTDOESTHECAPTIVATINGSPELLOFTHEPASTREMAINTOTHISDAY
UNBROKEN!DORNO 4HEUNCONSCIOUSELEMENTSOFHISTORYMUST
BEIDENTIFIED AS3ORIASIMILARLYARGUESIN,A0ARTDUMORT 
)L EST GRAND TEMPS DE FAIRE LE DEUIL DE CETTE GUERRE ;= ,A SEULE FAlON DY
PARVENIR EST DE LA REGARDER DROIT DANS LES YEUX ,E MAL A mTm FAIT 0OUR LE
CONJURER ILFAUTLADMETTREDABORD;=.OUSAVONSUNDEVOIRDEMmMOIRE
gACCOMPLIR
+HADRA

4HEVERBCONJURERCONNOTESAFORMOFPSYCHOLOGICALEXORCISMTHATECHOES
!DORNOSCONCEPTIONOFBREAKINGTHECAPTIVATINGSPELLOFTHEPAST!SWITH
HISTHESISONTHEORIGINSOF.ATIONAL3OCIALISM ITISTHECAUSESLEMAL
WHICHMUSTBEEXORCIZEDINORDERTOLIMITTHEIRHAUNTINGINFLUENCEUPON
THEPRESENT-EMORY CONVERSELY MUSTEMERGEFROMTHISRUPTUREWITHTHE
VIOLENTORIGINSOFTHEHORRORSOFTHEPAST ANDTHISISDEPICTEDASANETHICAL
DEVOIRDEMmMOIRE
$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH



"OTH3ANSALAND+HADRATRACETHEVIOLENCEOFTHECIVILWARBACKTOTHE
WAROFINDEPENDENCE,AGUERRED!LGmRIE COMMENCmEILYAQUARANTEANS
SE POURSUIT ET VA VERS UN TERRIBLE DmNOUEMENT ,HISTOIRE SE VENGE 3ANSAL
   4HROUGH HIS INVESTIGATIONS ,ARBI GENERATES A THmORIE SUR LE
RETOURENSCnNEDESSEIGNEURSDELAGUERREOUDELEURSSUCCESSEURSTHATESTAB
LISHES CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE &,. AND THE &RONT ISLAMIQUE DU SALUT &)3
3ANSAL CESECRETPORTmPARLESVENTSQUIDITQUE&,.ET&)3 CEST
LEMoMEBLANCBONNETNOIRDEPOLICHINELLE3ERAIT CECELUIDECETINSAISISSABLE
&,).33ANSAL ,ARBISINVESTIGATIONSREVEAL MOREOVER THAT
3I-OHAND!BDALLAHWERECHILDHOODFRIENDSANDTHAT TOGETHERWITH-OHS
CRIMINALCOUNTERPARTS :ERBIBAND!OUDIA THEYFOUGHTONBEHALFOF-ESSALI
(ADJS0ARTIDUPEUPLEALGmRIEN00! ANDTHELATER-OUVEMENTNATIONALALGmRIEN
-.! !BDALLAH HORRIFIEDBYTHEARBITRARYVIOLENCEOFSOMEOFTHE-.!S
COMBATANTS FLEDTHEMAQUISTOSPENDTHEDURATIONOFTHEWARASALABOURER
FOR THE PIED NOIR 6ILLETTA FAMILY WHO POSSESSED A VAST AMOUNT OF LAND NEAR
2OUIBA !FTER THE TERMINATION OF THE !LGERIAN 7AR !BDALLAH IMMIGRATED
WITHHISPATRONSTO4OULOUSEAND ONHISRETURNTO!LGERIAIN SPENTHIS
DAYSATTENDINGTOTHEFAMILYSGRAVESINTHE%UROPEANCEMETERY
4HECEMETERY REDOLENTOFTHEDISCURSIVEANDCONTENTIOUSCONNECTIONS
BETWEEN MOURNING MEMORIALIZATION AND OFFICIAL MEMORY IN POSTCOLONIAL
!LGERIA BECOMESTHELOCUSOFTHENATIONSMELANCHOLICRELATIONSHIPTOITS
PAST!S,ARBISINVESTIGATIONEVOLVES THECEMETERYINCREASINGLYMARKSTHE
NEXUS BETWEEN HAUNTING MEMORIES OF THE !LGERIAN 7AR AND THE RECENT
)SLAMICFUNDAMENTALISM SYMBOLIZINGTHEWAYINWHICHDIVERGENTMEMO
RIESANDIDEOLOGIESVIEFORAUTHORITY$EPUISLONGTEMPS ;,ARBI=SEDOUTAIT
QUELESCIMETInRESCHRmTIENS ETPASSEULEMENTCELUIDE2OUIBA mTAIENTAU
CURDUNEVASTEAFFAIRE;=;QUI=MoLENTLAPOLITIQUE LARELIGION LADROGUE
3ANSAL ,ARBISENQUIRYSUGGESTSTHAT-OH !OUDIAAND:ERBIB
NEVER RELINQUISHED THEIR TIES TO THE -ESSALIST FACTION NOR THEIR PLAN TO
OVERTHROWTHE&,.$RIVENBYADESIREFORREVENGEANDDOMINATION THEY
ORCHESTRATED A SCHEME THAT ;P=EU g PEU ;IL= MEN;AIT= g LA GUERRE CIVILE
3ANSAL )NORDERTOBOLSTERITSSTRENGTHANDTOGAINADDITIONAL
SUPPORT THE NEO -ESSALIST MOVEMENT APPEALED TO THE NOSTALGIA OF THE
PIEDS NOIRSIN&RANCEBYPRESENTINGTHEMWITHIMAGESOFTHEIRABANDONED
MAUSOLEUMS$ANSUNEPREMInREmTAPE ACCENTUERLAPEINEDESPIEDS NOIRS
EN LEUR MONTRANT PHOTOS g LAPPUI LmTAT CALAMITEUX DE LEURS CIMETInRES
ET RAVIVER LEUR HAINE DU BICOT 3ANSAL    -OHS APPEAL TO THE
NOSTALGIA OF THE PIEDS NOIRS REFLECTS THE SOCIAL REALITY OF A GROUP THAT IN
3TORASTERMS ONTTOUTDEMoMELESENTIMENTDoTREABANDONNmS5NPEU
COMME SILS mTAIENT g LIDENTIQUE DANS UN TEMPS ARRoTm DANS LANNmE
 COMME SIL NY AVAIT PAS DE FRANCHISSEMENT DE TEMPORALITm
3TORAPAR "ELIEVINGTHEMSELVESTOHAVEBEENUNLAWFULLYEXILED
FROM THEIR HOMELAND THE MELANCHOLIC PIEDS NOIRS PROVE SUSCEPTIBLE TO
3I -OHS MANIPULATION OF THEIR FOREBEARS GRAVES ILS SONT PARTIS AVEC LES
RACINESAUXPIEDSETLAToTEBRUISSANTEDEPROJETSDERETOUR3ANSAL
  )N THE NARRATIVE THE PIEDS NOIRS MELANCHOLY FOR THE LOST HOMELAND
ENABLESTHEANTI &,.MOVEMENTTOENLISTTHEMINTHEIRATTEMPTSTODESTABI
LIZE !LGERIA SINCE AS ,ARBI ARTICULATES ;g= UN HOMME QUI A MAL g SON
PASSm ON PEUT PROPOSER NIMPORTE QUEL AVENIR POURVU QUIL Y AIT LA
NOSTALGIEETUNPLANDERESSOURCEMENTgLACLm3ANSAL 


,UCY"RISLEY

.OSTALGIAFORAPUTATIVELOSTPLENITUDEISIMBRICATEDINBOTHTHEPIEDS
NOIRS DESIRE TO RETURN TO AN IDEALIZED COLONIAL PAST AND THE )SLAMISTS
CRUSADEFORANEWRELIGIOUSSTATE)THASBEENVIEWEDASAFORMOFCONSOLI
DATION FOR A LOST POWER 3HAW AND #HASE   AND CERTAINLY THE
NOSTALGmRIE $ERRIDA   OF THE PIEDS NOIRS IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH
RIGHT WINGPOLITICSANDTHE&RENCHLOIDUFmVRIER-ARSH
WHICH ACCORDING TO 3TORA MARKED LE RETOUR DE LA GUERRE DES MmMOIRES
DES DEUX CxTmS DE LA -mDITERRANmE ET LA MISE g LmCART DE LA VOIX HISTORI
ENNE3TORAPARA 4HEDETECTIVENOVELSOF3ANSALAND+HADRA
CANBEREADASANATTEMPTTOREINTEGRATEHISTORICITYINTHEFORMOFACRITI
CALMODEOFWORKINGTHROUGHTHEPASTINTO&RENCHAND!LGERIANNARRA
TIVESOFTHEWAROFINDEPENDENCE"OTHAUTHORSELICITTHEGUERREDESMmMOIRES
SURROUNDING THE CONFLICT BUT IN DOING SO THEY SEEK TO DISMANTLE THE
ASSUMEDDISTINCTIONSBETWEENGROUPS REVEALINGHOWTHEIRAIMSANDIDEOL
OGIESOVERLAP3TORAAND,ECLnRE )N,E3ERMENTDESBARBARES
,ARBI THUS EMPHASIZES HOW THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PIEDS NOIRS AND
THE-ESSALISTSSIGNALSANEXUSOFPOLITICALALLIANCESTHATPERSISTLONGAFTER
THETERMINATIONOFTHEWAROFINDEPENDENCE
)LSONTRENOUmLESFILSAVECLEURSALLImSDHIER EN&RANCE DANSLESMILIEUXPIEDS
NOIRS DE LEXTRoME DROITE ET DANS LES GHETTOS HARKIS !PRnS TOUT DURANT LES
ANNmESDEBRAISE NONT ILSPASLUTTmCONTRELEMoMEENNEMI LE&,..ONT ILS
PASmTmmGALEMENTTRAHISPARLARMmEFRANlAISEETLESPOLITICARDSDE0ARIS
3ANSAL

3I-OHSMOVEMENTINVOKESACOMPLEXHISTORICALWEBOFNOSTALGIA FORMER
HOSTILITIES AND PARTISAN POLITICS THAT HAVE YET TO BE PUBLICLY ADDRESSED IN
!LGERIA 2ATHER THAN FIGURING EACH GROUP AS AN ISOLATED FACTION 3ANSAL
REVEALS THE MULTIDIRECTIONAL WAYS BOTH TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL IN WHICH
THEYINTERSECTANDINFORMEACHOTHER4HECIVILWAR SOMETIMESMISINTER
PRETED AS A DYADIC CONFLICT OF RELIGIOUS FANATICS VERSUS A SECULAR STATE IS
REVEALED TO BE MUCH MORE TRANSNATIONAL AND COMPLEX IN SCOPE 'ROSS
   3I -OH AND THE NEO -ESSALISTS EVEN FUEL AND EXPLOIT
THEINCREASINGSOCIO POLITICALPROBLEMSFACEDBYTHEPOPULATIONDURINGTHE
S WILFULLY INCITING RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM DESCRIBED AS UNE
DROGUEBONMARCHm INORDERTOESTABLISHUNEARMmEDEFmROCESASSASSINS
LES ISLAMISTES 3ANSAL    0ROSPEROUS CAPITALISTS LIKE -OH IN ,E
3ERMENTDESBARBARES AND(AJ4HORBANEIN,A0ARTDUMORT
ARE SHOWN TO HAVE PROFITED FROM THE CIVIL WAR AMASSING DES FORTUNES
FLAMBOYANTESWHILEATTEMPTINGTODESTABILIZETHE&,.3ANSAL 
4HE NOVELS OF 3ANSAL AND +HADRA THUS REVEAL THAT THE CIVIL WAR LIKE THE
WAR OF INDEPENDENCE BEFORE IT IS AN AMBIGUOUS CONFLICT WHOSE ACTORS
CANNOT EASILY BE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE -ANICHEAN PARADIGMS THAT
STRUCTURECONVENTIONALDETECTIVEFICTION

)NVESTIGATIVEPRACTICESANDWORKINGTHROUGH

4HEMEMORIALTHREADSTHATEMERGETHROUGHOUTTHENOVELSAREFREQUENTLY
RE EXAMINED BY THE DETECTIVES AS THEIR INVESTIGATIONS UNEARTH NEW CLUES
FROMTHEPAST)NMANYWAYS THETEXTSPROFFERAMODEOFWORKINGTHROUGH
AKIN TO WHAT 2OSELLO REFERS TO AS AN ACT OF TRANSLATION IN WHICH EACH
$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH



TRANSLATION OR RETRANSLATION ADDS TO THE ORIGINAL FORMULATION A LAYER OF
METAPHORSOREXAMPLESTHATINDICATETHATTHEPRACTICEOFMEMORIALIZINGIS
NOTAGOALINITSELF2OSELLO 3IMILARLY INTHEDETECTIVENOVELS
EACHNEWPIECEOFEVIDENCEORTESTIMONIALEMERGESTANGENTIALLY CONSTRUCT
INGAMNEMONICPALIMPSESTTHAT LIKEWORKINGTHROUGH ISNEVERCOMPLETE
BUTRELENTLESSLYSELF QUESTIONINGANDCRITICAL*USTASTHEPROCESSOFWORKING
THROUGH RESISTS FINITUDE AND CATHARSIS +HADRAS AND 3ANSALS NARRATIVES
ESCHEWANYFORMOFCLOSURE REFUSINGTOENDORSEYETANOTHERSINGULARINTER
PRETATIONOFTHEPASTTHATWOULDMERELYECHOTHEHOMOGENEITYOFTHE&,.S
DISCOURSE4HEJOUISSANCETYPICALLYASSOCIATEDWITHTHEREADERSSEARCHFOR
MEANINGINDETECTIVEFICTIONISABSENTFROMTHESETEXTSAND INCONTRASTTO
THE AIMS OF BOTH CONVENTIONAL DETECTIVE FICTION AND PSYCHOANALYSIS IN
PARTICULAR THE WORK OF MOURNING THEY COUNTER THEIR DETECTIVES FAITH
IN EMPIRICAL DATA PLACING EMPHASIS ON PROCESSES OF QUESTIONING RATHER
THANENDRESULTSFFRENCH 
,ARBISTHEORIESREMAINCONJECTURES ANDTHEMOTIVEBEHIND!BDALLAHS
DEATHREMAINSAMBIGUOUSTHROUGHOUT)LSAVAITQUELQUECHOSE ONLATUm
CENESTPASNOUVEAU SUGGESTS,ARBI THOUGHITISUNCLEARPRECISELYWHAT
!BDALLAHKNEW3ANSAL )TISPOSSIBLEHEHADDISCOVEREDTHAT
-OH AND HIS BROTHERS HAD BEEN STORING DRUGS AND WEAPONRY IN THE
%UROPEANCEMETERY ORELSEHISCAREFULMAINTENANCEOFTHE6ILLETTASSTOMBS
THREATENEDTOCONTROVERTTHEDEGENERATIVEIMAGESOFTHEDEADCOLONSREST
ING PLACE PERHAPS TOO HIS DEATH WAS REVENGE FOR HAVING DESERTED THE
-ESSALISTSDURINGTHEWAR,EPAUVRE;INSPECTEUR=SINVENTAITTREIZEQUES
TIONSgLADOUZAINEARTICULATESTHENARRATORITISANAMBIGUITYTHATPERSISTS
TOWARDSTHEENDOFTHENARRATIVE3ANSAL !VECDESINTUITIONS
ILAVAITmLABORmUNETHmORIEETAUCUNDESmLmMENTSRASSEMBLmSPARLUINmTAIT
VENU LA DmMENTIR NI FORMELLEMENT LA VALIDER 3ANSAL    ,ARBI
NEVERSUCCEEDSINREVEALINGHISIDEASTO(AMIDI LETALONEINTESTIFYINGINA
COURT OF LAW INSTEAD HIS INVESTIGATION REMAINS UNRESOLVED THWARTED BY
!LGERIAS CORRUPT SOCIO POLITICAL CLIMATE 3IMILARLY IN ,A 0ART DU MORT
 ,LOBS INVESTIGATIONS DO NOT RESOLVE MANY OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF
THE CASE #ERTAIN CLUES CONVINCE HIM THAT (AJ 4HORBANES DEATH IS NOT
SUICIDE AS PRESUMED BUT HE FAILS TO BRING THE SUSPECTED KILLER TO JUSTICE
,IKEWISE WHILETHENARRATIVEREVEALSHOWMANYOF!LGERIASELITEEXPLOITED
THE !LGERIAN 7AR TO GAIN POWER AND CAPITAL ,LOB CANNOT HOLD THEM
ACCOUNTABLE#Hm ANIMMORALMAQUISARDFROMTHEGUERRED!LGmRIE REMAINS
IMPERVIOUSTOTHELAW AND'HALI3AAD ACORRUPTBUREAUCRATWHOWORKS
FORTHEINVESTIGATIONUNIT ISUNLIKELYTOBEARRESTEDDESPITEPERVERTINGTHE
COURSEOFJUSTICEANDMANIPULATINGTHEPOLICEINVESTIGATION
)NASTARTLINGTWIST ,E3ERMENTDESBARBARES EVENTERMINATESWITH
THEMURDEROF,ARBIINAN!LGIERSCAFE JUSTASHEISONTHEVERGEOFARTICU
LATINGHISHYPOTHESESTO(AMIDI(ISDEATHCANBEREADASTHECOROLLARYOF
HISSUBVERSIVEENQUIRIESHEUNDERSTANDS TOOLATE THATTHEPOLICEARELIKELY
IMPLICATED IN THE MURDERS OF 3I -OH AND !BDALLAH AND HE REMEMBERS
SOMEWHAT FEARFULLY HOW ;IL= AVAIT TRAsNm SES SOUPlONS PARTOUT 3ANSAL
   !T THE SAME TIME HIS ASSASSIN IS DESCRIBED AS HAVING DEUX
YEUX FOUS A REFERENCE TO THE ZEALOUS BARBUS THOUGH THE NOVEL IMPLIES A
RELATIONSHIPBETWEENTHETWO3ANSAL )NASTRIKINGPARALLEL IN
,!UTOMNEDESCHIMnRES THECONCLUDINGNOVELOF+HADRASDETECTIVESERIES


,UCY"RISLEY

,LOB IS KILLED IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES YET ANOTHER VICTIM OF LA TRAGmDIE
ALGmRIENNE THAT IS PERFORMED MIMETICALLY ON A QUOTIDIAN LEVEL +HADRA
   "Y KILLING OFF THEIR DETECTIVES 3ANSAL AND +HADRA ACKNOWL
EDGETHEREALITYOFASITUATIONINWHICHCORRUPTION EXTREMISMANDCRIMI
NALITYREIGNSSUPREME!TTHESAMETIME HOWEVER THEIRDEATHSALSOSUGGEST
THATTRAUMACANNOTBEFACILELYORFULLYSURMOUNTEDANDTHUS AS,A#APRA
RIGHTLY ACKNOWLEDGES ACTING OUT OFTEN CONSTITUTES PART OF THE PROCESS OF
WORKING THROUGH %NVISAGING A NARRATIVE FORM THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THIS
,A#APRA VENTURES THAT THE NONFETISHISTIC NARRATIVE THAT RESISTS IDEOLOGY
WOULDINVOLVEANACTIVEACKNOWLEDGEMENTANDTOSOMEEXTENTANACTING
OUTOFTRAUMA;=ANDITWOULDINDICATEITSOWNIMPLICATIONINREPETITIVE
PROCESSESITCANNOTENTIRELYTRANSCEND,A#APRA "YBEGINNING
ANDENDINGTHEIRDETECTIVENARRATIVESWITHTHETROPEOFDEATH +HADRAAND
3ANSALIMBRICATETHEIRPROTAGONISTSWITHINHISTORICALMODESOFACTINGOUT
4HISHIGHLIGHTSTHATWORKINGTHROUGHISNOTASTRAIGHTFORWARDREMEDYFOR
TRAUMATICHISTORIES SUGGESTINGTOOTHATITTAKESMORETHANJUSTTHEEFFORTS
OFONEINDIVIDUAL4HEDETECTIVESDEATHSCANTHUSBEREADASAFIGURATIVE
CALLTOARMSTHATIMPLICATESTHEREADERINTHETASKOFWORKINGTHROUGHTHE
PAST INCITINGHIMORHERTOCONTINUEWHERE,ARBIAND,LOBLEFTOFF
)FTHEDEATHSOFTHEDETECTIVESRISKUNDERMININGTHEIRAUTHORSATTEMPTS
TOWORKTHROUGHTHEVIOLENCEOF!LGERIASHISTORY THEN ITISIMPORTANTTO
NOTE THAT IN DENYING THE JOUISSANCE OFTEN ATTRIBUTED TO DETECTIVE FICTION
3ANSAL AND +HADRA DO NOT CRITIQUE THE INVESTIGATIVE PRACTICES OF THEIR
PROTAGONISTS4HELACKOFANY(OLLYWOODDENOUEMENTSHOULDNOTBEREAD
ASAMETHODOLOGICALFAILUREBUTRATHERASTHEPRODUCTOFAPARTICULARSOCIO
HISTORICAL CLIMATE 4HE DETECTIVES RELENTLESS SELF QUESTIONING AND THEIR
DESIRE TO KEEP WORKING UPON THE PAST BECOME THEIR LEGACY 3OLVING THE
FACTSOFTHECASETHUSBECOMESSECONDARYTOTHELARGERIMPETUSOF+HADRAS
AND3ANSALSNARRATIVEPROJECTS THATIS TOTHEESTABLISHMENTOFANETHICAL
MODE OF HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT THAT SEEKS INTERCONNECTIONS AND HIDDEN
TRACES #E NEST PAS LE RmSULTAT DE LINVESTIGATION POLICInRE QUI LINTmRESSE
;,ARBI= CEST CE QUELLE NE PEUT ATTEINDRE ET RmVmLER 3ANSAL   
4HE FRAME OF REFERENCE EXPANDS THROUGHOUT THE NARRATIVES OPENING UP
NEWHISTORIESANDTHUS AS#LAUDIA#ANUWRITESOF+HADRASDETECTIVESERIES
NOUS AVONS LIMPRESSION DASSISTER AU TISSAGE DUNE IMMENSE TOILE O|
CHAQUE FIL SE NOUE DANS UN DESSIN BEAUCOUP PLUS VASTE #ANU 
PAR   !S THE NARRATIVES POSE MORE QUESTIONS THAN THEY ARE ABLE TO
ANSWER THEY FOREGROUND A SELF CRITICAL APPROACH TO HISTORIOGRAPHY THAT
ECHOES,A#APRASTENTATIVEDEFINITIONOF7ORKING THROUGH;ASTHATWHICH=
IMPLIESTHEPOSSIBILITYOFJUDGMENTTHATISNOTAPODICTICORADHOMINEMBUT
ARGUMENTATIVE SELF QUESTIONING AND RELATED IN MEDIATED WAYS TO ACTION
,A#APRA    ,ARBIS SELF QUESTIONING DISCOURSE IS CLEARLY
CONNECTEDTOACTION ANDITISALSOASIGNTHATHEISOPENTOMULTIPLEAND
APORETICINTERPRETATIONSOFTHEPASTTHATCIRCUMVENTTHEKINDOFRETURNTO
ORIGINSNARRATIVESTYPICAL INDIFFERINGWAYS OFBOTH!LGERIANIDENTITYPOLI
TICSANDTHEGENREOFDETECTIVEFICTION
)NSTEAD OF SEEKING A LINEAR TRUTH OR A NARRATIVE THAT MIGHT BOLSTER A
PARTICULARVICTIMSUBJECT POSITION THETEXTSPOSTULATETHATWORKINGTHROUGH
ISANON GOING EXPANSIVEPRACTICETHATENABLESNEWWAYSOFINTERPRETING
THE PAST !S LIMINAL FIGURES WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES ,ARBI AND ,LOB
$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH



 %VENTHOUGHTHE
MASSACREOFTHEHARKIS
ISNOWWELLKNOWN
INACADEMICCIRCLES
ITSTILLREMAINSONE
OFTHEMOSTSHAMEFUL
ASPECTSOFTHE
!LGERIANWAR AND TO
DATE ONEOFTHELEAST
ACKNOWLEDGEDAND
ADDRESSED"ARCLAY
XXIV 

DO NOT REPRESENT ANY PARTICULAR FACTION 7HAT IS EDIFYING ABOUT THEIR
ENQUIRIES IS NOT THE IDEOLOGICAL POSITION FROM WHICH THEY ORIGINATE BUT
THEIR WILLINGNESS TO WORK THROUGH ALL ASPECTS OF THE GUERRE D!LGmRIE
)MPORTANTLY THEYAREBOTHFORMERANTICOLONIALFIGHTERSWHOSECONCEPTIONS
OFTHEPASTAREMODIFIEDBYTHEIRDISCOVERIES;,ARBI=mTAITTOUCHmDANSSES
ILLUSIONS)LAVAITENToTEUNEVISIONDELHISTOIREUNPEUMOINSDmGUEULASSE
UNPEUPLUSHmROtQUE3ANSAL 4HROUGHTHEIRMULTIDIREC
TIONALINVESTIGATIONSOF!LGERIASPAST THEDETECTIVESTHUSACHIEVEALEVELOF
CRITICALDISTANCETHAT IN,A#APRASVIEW ISVITALTOWORKINGTHROUGH
  "Y INVESTIGATING THE INSIDIOUS ELEMENTS OF !LGERIAS HISTORY THE
NARRATIVES ALSO ENACT WHAT 3ANSAL IN HIS POLEMICAL ESSAY 0OSTE RESTANTE
DEEMSNECESSARYIFTHENATIONISTOTRANSCENDTHEMELANCHOLICREPETITIONOF
THEPAST THATIS LARmmCRITUREDEL(ISTOIREENINSISTANTSURSESPOINTSNmGA
TIFS 3ANSAL    )N ,E 3ERMENT DES BARBARES  FOR EXAMPLE
,ARBIUNCOVERSTHEINTRA TRIBALCONFLICTSTHATLEDTOMASSEXECUTIONS DEPLOR
INGTHE&,.;QUI=AARMmLEBRASDENOSJEUNESPOURLESJETERDANSLEFEUDU
SACRIFICE3ANSAL 4HEDEATHSOFTHEYOUNGFIGHTERSARESHOWN
TOHAVEBEENMACHINATEDBYTHE&,.INORDERTOINDUCEFEARANDDEFERENCE
AMONGSTTHE!LGERIANPEOPLE)N,A0ARTDUMORT ,LOBALSOCRITIQUES
THE&,.BYREVEALINGHOWFIGURESSUCHAS(AJ4HORBANEJOINEDTHEMAQUIS
ONTHEEVEOFINDEPENDENCEWHENVICTORYWASCERTAIN(ISUNEARTHINGOF
THE MASSACRE OF THE HARKIS IN THE SUMMER OF  ALSO SERVES TO UNDER
MINE THE &,.S CLAIM TO LEGITIMACY INVITING FURTHER CRITIQUE OF !LGERIAS
OBSCUREDANDCOMPLEXPAST

7ORKINGTHROUGHTHEVICTIM PERPETRATORPARADIGM

)N(ISTORYAND-EMORYAFTER!USCHWITZ,A#APRAARTICULATESTHAT !NYPOLI
TICSLIMITEDTOWITNESSING MEMORY MOURNINGDEADVICTIMSANDHONORING
SURVIVORSHIP WOULD CONSTITUTE AN EXCESSIVELY LIMITED HORIZON OF ACTION
HOWEVERDESIRABLEANDNECESSARYTHESEACTIVITIESMAYBE,A#APRA
 !POLITICALMODELDEVOTEDPURELYTOMEMORIALIZATIONWOULDENGEN
DERTHEVICTIMHOODTHATFUELSDUALISTICTHINKINGSINCEMOURNINGFREQUENTLY
COMMEMORATES HISTORICAL LOSS BY AFFIRMING AND THUS PERPETUATING THE
SAME BINARY DISTINCTIONS US AND THEM VICTIM AND PERPETRATOR THAT
MARKEDTHEORIGINALCONFLICT4HISFORMOFCOMMEMORATIONISPARTICULARLY
DANGEROUS IN THE CONTEXT OF POSTCOLONIAL !LGERIA A NATION WHOSE DOMI
NANT NARRATIVE IS STILL PREDICATED UPON THE COLONIZER COLONIZED PARADIGM
3ANSAL -ORERECENTLY OFCOURSE THENARRATIVESOFOTHERGROUPS
INCLUDING HARKIS PIEDS NOIRS AND -ESSALISTS HAVE EMERGED TO COUNTER THE
&,.S APPROPRIATION OF THE VICTIM SUBJECT POSITION !S ,E 3ERMENT DES
BARBARES DEMONSTRATES HOWEVER THESENARRATIVESHAVEHELPEDFUEL
APOLITICSOFVICTIMHOOD
$UEINPARTTOTHEFACTTHATTHEPASTHASNOTBEENWORKEDTHROUGHAT
LEASTINANYOFFICIALCAPACITYVARIOUSPERMUTATIONSOFTHEVICTIM PERPETRATOR
DIALECTIC CONTINUE TO STRUCTURE !LGERIAN SOCIETY 7RITING DURING THE CIVIL
WAR FORINSTANCE 3TORADESCRIBEDTHECONFLICTASUNESORTEDEREMAKEDELA
GUERRE DINDmPENDANCE IN WHICH ;SA= MmMOIRE ;= OPnRE COMME UN
FACTEUR DE DISTRIBUTION DES RxLES g TENIR ,ES ACTEURS ;DE LA GUERRE CIVILE=
SHABILLENTAVECLESVoTEMENTSTHmORIQUESEMPRUNTmSAUPASSm3TORA
 ORIGINALEMPHASIS 3TORAFIGURESTHECIVILWARASAGROSSPARODY


,UCY"RISLEY

OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE WITH PUTATIVELY NEW GROUPS MIMETICALLY
RE ENACTINGTHEANTICOLONIALWARUNDERTHEGUISEOFTHEPASTLESISLAMISTES
ARE CRITICAL OF LES NOUVEAUX PIEDS NOIRS WHILE THESE LATTER &,. BUREAU
CRATSACCUSETHE&)3OFBEINGHARKISVOULANTCASSERLANATIONALGmRIENNE
3TORA )NTERPRETEDINTHISWAY THECIVILWARFIGURESASAMACA
BREGAMEINWHICHPARTICIPANTSACTOUTTHEIRVIOLENTROLESACCORDINGTOA
PREDETERMINED SET OF RULES ,E3ERMENTDESBARBARES  ALSO REFERENCES
THE PROTAGONISTES ;QUI= ATTENDENT LEUR TOUR DENTRER EN SCnNE SIMILARLY
FIGURINGTHE-ANICHEANSPACEOF2OUIBAASTHESITEOFANABSURDISTGAME
THAT WILL REPLICATE AD INFINITUM UNLESS ESTABLISHED PATTERNS OF VIOLENCE
ARE WORKED THROUGH 3ANSAL    2OUIBA ON DmTESTE QUE LA
VICTIME MANQUE g SON BOURREAU ON REFUSE QUELLE PERCE SON JEU 3ANSAL
   !S A MICROCOSM OF !LGERIAN SOCIETY THE SITUATION IN 2OUIBA
POINTS TO THE WIDER NEED TO DECONSTRUCT THE VICTIM PERPETRATOR BINARY IN
ORDERTOBREAKFREEFROMTHEHAUNTINGLOGICOFTHEPAST4RANSCENDINGTHE
LIMITATIONSOFTHEVICTIM PERPETRATORDYADISREGARDEDBY,A#APRAASAVITAL
COMPONENTOFWORKINGTHROUGH,A#APRA (EISCAREFULTOSTRESS
HOWEVER THATDECONSTRUCTINGTHEOPPOSITION;=BETWEENPERPETRATORAND
VICTIMSHOULDNOTREMAINWITHINASTRATEGYOFREVERSAL WHICHLEADSTOTHE
AUTOMATIC VALORIZATION OF THE SUPPOSEDLY SUPPRESSED MEMBER OF THE PAIR
,A#APRA    )NSTEAD PROCESSES OF WORKING THROUGH MUST
RECOGNIZE THAT THE ONTOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL CONCEPT OF THE VICTIM IS NOT
CREATEDINAVACUUMITNECESSARILYARISESINRELATIONTOANOTHER APERPE
TRATOR WHO IS IMBRICATED IN THE VICTIMS COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP TO SENTI
MENTSOFLOSS GUILT RETRIBUTIONANDFORGIVENESS
)N TERMS OF HISTORICAL MODES OF WORKING THROUGH THE PAST MOREOVER
)WOULDCAUTIONTHATTOCONSTRUCTNARRATIVESTHATSEEKTOMOVEBEYONDTHE
VICTIM PERPETRATOR BINARY IS NOT TO BELIE THE EXISTENCE OR SUFFERING OF
VICTIMS BUT RATHER TO IMAGINE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NO LONGER FOUNDED
ON OR CONSTITUTED BY VICTIMHOOD AND THE VICTIM PERPETRATOR BINARY /N
THEONEHAND THEN THEDETECTIVENOVELSOF3ANSALAND+HADRADOENACTA
BELATEDFORMOFJUSTICEONBEHALFOFTHEDEAD)F AS&RASERAFFIRMS THELAW
OFTHEGENREDEMANDSTHEQUESTFORJUSTICE&RASER BOTH,LOB
AND,ARBIACTOUTOFANETHICALDESIRETOREMEMBERBOTHTHEVICTIMSOFTHE
WAR OF INDEPENDENCE AND LES NOUVELLES VICTIMES DU TERRORISME 3ANSAL
 7HILE,ARBIISADVISEDTOABANDONTHECASE HESTOICALLYREFUSES
TO FORSAKE THE DEAD ,ACCOUCHEMENT DU RAPPORT LAVAIT TOURMENTm 3ES
COMPLICESDELADMINISTRATIONVOULAIENTLEBOURRERDOMISSIONSSANSLAISSER
PLACEgLAVmRITm3ESMORTSNAURAIENTPASCOMPRIS#ESTEXIGEANT UNMORT
EN SERVICE COMMANDm 3ANSAL    ,ARBI IS ACUTELY AWARE
THAT LIKE SO MANY FORGOTTEN DEAD BEFORE HIM !BDALLAH WOULD LIKELY BE
CONDEMNED TO WHAT 2ANJANA +HANNA IN A CRITIQUE OF MOURNING AND
NATIONALISTDISCOURSEINPOSTCOLONIAL!LGERIA REFERSTOASTHEGARBAGECAN
OF MODERN NATIONALISM +HANNA   "AKOUR NEXISTE PAS ET SIL A
EXISTm CESTPARCEQUEVOUSETMOI SIDILEJOUGE NOUSNOUSINTmRESSONSg
SON ASSASSIN 3ANSAL    4HROUGH THE DETECTIVE FORMAT 3ANSAL
ATTEMPTS TO REHABILITATE THE SINGULAR MEMORY OF !BDALLAH AND BOTH HE
AND +HADRA EXPLOIT THE WAY IN WHICH DETECTIVE FICTION ENCOURAGES US TO
LISTEN AGAIN TO THE VOICES OF THE PAST (ALL    4HE JUSTICE THAT IS
PERFORMED WITHIN THE NARRATIVES IS NECESSARILY INCOMPLETE SINCE LIKE
$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH



2OSELLOAND,A#APRA +HADRAAND3ANSALACCEPTTHATTHEPASTCANNEVERBE
REPAIRED OR RECOVERED 2OSELLO    !BDALLAH CANNOT RETURN AS A
SPECTRETOARTICULATEHISTORICALTRUTHANYMORETHAN,ARBICANCONSTRUCTA
REDEMPTIVENARRATIVEFROMTHEFRAGMENTARYCLUESATHISDISPOSAL)NDEED IF
!BDALLAHSLIFEANDDEATHPRODUCEAMULTITUDEOFDIFFERENTHYPOTHESES THIS
SERVESASACAVEATWARNINGAGAINSTREDUCTIVEATTEMPTSTOINTERPRETAND
TESTIFYONBEHALFOFTHEDEAD
)NSTEAD AS,ARBIAND,LOBENCOUNTERDIFFERENTWITNESSESANDPENETRATE
DIFFERENTSOCIALARENAS THEIRINVESTIGATIONSENGENDERWHAT,A#APRATERMS
A COMPARISON OF EXPERIENCES THAT BEGINS TO MAP OUT A MORE NUANCED
NARRATIVE OF !LGERIAN HISTORY ,A#APRA    )N ,A 0ART DU MORT
 THEHISTORIAN3ORIA+ARADACHINSTILSIN,LOBTHENEEDTOTRANSCEND
THE REDUCTIVE CATEGORIZATION OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS ACCORDING TO THE
VICTIM PERPETRATORPARADIGMIFAMORECANDIDANDHETEROGENEOUSHISTORY
OFTHECOUNTRYISTOEMERGE
$ACCORD VOUSoTESUNANCIENMAQUISARDETILVOUSESTDIFFICILEDEVOUSRETE
NIR FACE g VOS ENNEMIES DHIER MAIS AUJOURDHUI NOUS SOMMES OBLIGmS DE
REVENIRSURDESATROCITmSINIMAGINABLESETDmCOUTERETCEUXQUILESONTPERPm
TRmESETCEUXQUILESONTSUBIES)LNESAGITPASDEPARDONNEROUDECONDAM
NERILESTQUESTIONDERECONSTITUERLESFAITSAFINDENTIRERLESENSEIGNEMENTS
QUI NOUS FONT DmFAUT 0ERSONNELLEMENT AVANT DE ME JETER DANS LE BAIN JAI
LAISSmMESPRmJUGmSAUVESTIAIREAFINDABORDERLESmVmNEMENTSAVECCETTEDOSE
DOBJECTIVITmSANSLAQUELLEAUCUNTRAVAILSmRIEUXNEPEUToTREPOSSIBLE
+HADRA

)NCONTRASTTOCONVENTIONALDETECTIVEFICTION INWHICHARIGIDLYMAINTAINED
DISTINCTIONBETWEENPERPETRATORANDVICTIMOPERATESASONEOFTHEGENRES
CORE ORGANIZING STRUCTURES APPORTIONING BLAME OR EXCULPATION IS NOT THE
AIM OF THE NARRATIVE 2ATHER IN ORDER TO BREAK FREE FROM THE REPETITIVE
CYCLE OF VIOLENCE ESTABLISHED BIASES AND AFFILIATIONS MUST BE WORKED
THROUGHAND INSOMECASES EVENRELINQUISHEDSOTHAT!LGERIANSFROM
DIFFERENTGROUPSCANONCEAGAINBEGINTORECONNECTASINDIVIDUALS
)N,A0ARTDUMORT +HADRAANALYSESTHEVILIFIEDPERPETRATORFIGURE
OFTHEHARKI WHOHASBEENCONDEMNEDANDEVENMASSACREDONBOTHSIDESOF
THE -EDITERRANEAN FOR SUPPORTING &RENCH !LGERIA DURING THE WAR OF INDE
PENDENCE #ONTRARY TO THE NOTION THAT THEY WERE NECESSARILY IN FAVOUR OF
COLONIALISM ,A 0ART DU MORT  SUGGESTS THAT MANY HARKIS WERE NOT
DRIVENBYANENCODEDORCOLLECTIVEIDEOLOGY BUTWEREINDIVIDUALSFORCEDTO
MAKEAPRECIPITOUSDECISIONDURINGATIMEOFSOCIO POLITICALTURMOIL)NOTHER
WORDS JUSTASFIGURESLIKE(AJ4HORBANEMADETHECORRECTCHOICE LITERALLY
BANKINGONTHE&,.INORDERTOPROSPERFINANCIALLYINTHEPOSTCOLONIALERA
MANYHARKISJOINEDTHE&RENCHMILITARYBECAUSEITAPPEAREDTOBETHEBEST
ALTERNATIVEATTHETIME)NDEED FORMANYINDIVIDUALSITMIGHTHAVESEEMED
INCONCEIVABLETHAT!LGERIAWOULDGAININDEPENDENCE ANDTHUSTHECHOICE
TOFIGHTONBEHALFOFTHE&RENCHWASATACTICALRATHERTHANANIDEOLOGICALLY
MOTIVATEDONE/NEOFTHEWITNESSESIN,LOBSCASE AFARMERANDAFORMER
HARKI EXPLAINS THE SITUATION IN THE FOLLOWING TERMS #EST QUOI UN HARKI
3INDIGNE T IL#ESTQUOIAUJUSTE6AS Y mCLAIRE MOI#ESTQUOIUNHARKI
;= #EST QUELQUUN QUI MANQUE DE POT A FAIT LE MAUVAIS CHOIX g UN


,UCY"RISLEY

MOMENT O| RIEN NE LUI RmUSSISAIT 6OILg CE QUE CEST UN HARKI +HADRA
 +HADRAPORTRAYSTHEFARMERASANINDIVIDUALWHOSEDECISIONTO
BECOMEAHARKIWASBASEDONPARTICULARCIRCUMSTANCESTHATHADLITTLETODO
WITH THE POLITICS OF WAR 7HAT IS MORE THE FARMER REVEALS HOW HE WAS
CASTRATEDBYTHE&,. ANDTHUSITMIGHTBEMOREAPPROPRIATETOCATEGORIZE
HIMASAVICTIMOFTHEGUERREDINDmPENDANCE(ENOTABLYREJECTSVICTIMHOOD
JUSTASVEHEMENTLYASHEREFUTESTHELABELOFPERPETRATOR HOWEVER REFUSING
TOLOCATEHIMSELFWITHINALARGERHISTORICALNARRATIVEPREDICATEDONLIMITING
OPPOSITIONS)FHISISOLATEDEXISTENCEINRURAL!LGERIAUNDERSCORESTHEON GO
INGRISKOFVIGILANTEVIOLENCEHESTILLFACES THEN ITALSOPOINTSTOHISDESIRETO
INHABIT A SPACE IN WHICH IDENTITIES ARE NOT FIXED BY POSTCOLONIAL IDENTITY
POLITICS+HADRASNARRATIVEDOESNOTSOMUCHDECONSTRUCTTHEVICTIM PERPE
TRATORBINARY THEN ASSUGGESTTHAT!LGERIANIDENTITIESAREMUCHMOREFLUID
THANMANYMEMORIALNARRATIVESWOULDADMIT
+HADRA DOES NOT THEREFORE SIMPLY SUBVERT THE IMAGE OF THE HARKI
THEREBYREINSCRIBINGTHENATIONSPERPETRATORASAVICTIM2ATHER ,A0ART
DU MORT  UNDERMINES THE NOTION OF A FIXED OR HOMOGENOUS HARKI
COLLECTIVEORIDENTITY FOCUSINGINSTEADONTHEFARMERSINNATEHUMAN NESS
THATIS HISERRORSANDWEAKNESSES ASWELLASHISSTRENGTHS4HISFOCUSON
THESINGULARITYOFTHOSEWHOACTEDINTHEWAROFINDEPENDENCEFIGURESASA
POINTOFDEPARTUREFORANINTER SUBJECTIVERELATIONSHIPWITHTHEOTHERBEYOND
THEMELANCHOLICMODELOFVICTIMHOOD4HUSIFTHEDETECTIVESINBOTHNOVELS
BEGINBYDECODING!LGERIASPASTINACCORDANCEWITHPREDETERMINEDROLES
IDENTITIES AND ACTORS THEIR INVESTIGATIVE PROCESSES GRADUALLY BEGIN TO
DISMANTLE WHAT 3ANSAL REFERS TO AS LEJEU OF HISTORY BY DECONSTRUCTING THE
DOMINANTNARRATIVESOFTHEWAR!S,LOBAND,ARBICONVERSEWITHDIVERGENT
WITNESSESANDSUSPECTS THEYBEGINTOMAPOUTACOMMUNITYOFINDIVIDUALS
4HE IDENTITIES WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES ARE NOT ENCODED BUT EMERGE AS
THEYARTICULATETHEMSELVESWITHINTHEPUBLICSPHERE
!SIN,E3ERMENTDESBARBARES +HADRABEGINSTOELICITAMULTIDI
RECTIONAL MEMORY OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE ESTABLISHING THE VERY RELA
TIONSHIPBETWEENDECOLONIZATIONAND7ORLD7AR))THATFORMSTHEBASISOF
2OTHBERGSMONOGRAPH4HEFARMERSTESTIMONYRECOUNTSHOWMANYHARKIS
FOUGHTONBEHALFOFLAMnREPATRIEDURINGTHEFIRSTANDSECONDWORLDWARS
BEFOREREVEALINGHOWTHERESCAPmS ENGUISEDERECONNAISSANCE ;=FURENT
EXTERMINmS COMME DU BmTAIL CONTAMINm LE  MAI  g LHEURE O| LE
MONDE ENTIER DmBARRASSm DU NAZISME CRIAIT SUR LES TOITS ET SUR LES PLACES
PUBLIQUES 0LUS JAMAIS lA +HADRA    +HADRA EVOKES THE
INTERSECTINGHISTORICALANDMEMORIALCONNECTIONSBETWEENTHE(OLOCAUST
&RENCHCOLONIALISM AND!LGERIANDECOLONIZATION CRITIQUINGTHEMANNERIN
WHICH&RANCECOULDCELEBRATETHEENDOFFASCISMATTHESELF SAMEMOMENT
&RENCHAUTHORITIESIN3mTIFSLAUGHTERED!LGERIANSWHOWERECAMPAIGNING
FORINDEPENDENCEANDTHERELEASEOF-ESSALI(ADJ"YALLUDINGTOTHE.AZI
RHETORIC THAT CONSTRUED THE *EWISH POPULATIONS AS VERMIN TO BE EXTERMI
NATED THEFARMERALSOEVOKESHISTORICALCONNECTIONSBETWEENTHEVICTIMS
OFTHE(OLOCAUST THEMASSACRESOF ANDTHEMASSACREOFTHEHARKISIN
)MPORTANTLY HOWEVER HEDOESNOTCONFLATETHESEEVENTSANYMORE
THAN HE CONFLATES THEIR VICTIMS POSTULATING INSTEAD THE NEED FOR A MORE
NUANCED AND CRITICAL APPROACH TO !LGERIAN HISTORY THAT FOREGROUNDS
ON GOINGPROCESSESOFENUNCIATIONANDCORRESPONDENCE
$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH



 2OTHBERGTAKESHIS
DEFINITIONOFTHE
COUNTERPUBLICFROM
-ICHAEL7ARNERS
CONCEPTIONOFPUBLIC
SPACEANDITSRELATION
TODISCOURSE

4HIS NOTION OF MEMORIALIZATION AS ARTICULATION IS DISCERNIBLE IN


2OTHBERGS CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE COUNTERPUBLIC SPACE WHICH IS
CONCEIVED AS AN ARENA IN WHICH DIFFERENT DISCOURSES INTERSECT 2OTHBERG
 )MPORTANTLY THESPEAKINGSUBJECTISNOTFIXEDBUTISINVOLVED
IN A CREATIVE PROCESS OF BECOMING AS HIS OR HER TESTIMONY INTERACTS WITH
THOSEOFOTHERINDIVIDUALS
)FNEITHERTHESPACENORTHESUBJECTOFPUBLICDISCOURSEISGIVENINADVANCE
THEN THE TESTIMONIAL ARTICULATION OF MEMORY BECOMES A SITE OF POTENTIAL
POLITICALENGAGEMENTITCREATESSUBJECTSANDHELPSSHAPEWHATCOUNTSASTHE
TERRAINOFPOLITICS
2OTHBERG

4HE MODEL POSITED BY 2OTHBERG THUS GOES SOME WAY TO RESISTING MONO
LITHICINTERPRETATIONSOFHISTORY THOUGHITISNOTWITHOUTITSSHORTCOMINGS
-ULTIDIRECTIONAL MEMORY IS ALSO POTENTIALLY OPEN TO ABUSE BY THOSE WHO
EMPLOY EQUIVALENCES AND SIMILES RATHER THAN SEEKING CROSSOVERS AND
TRACES )N A SIMILAR VEIN 2OSELLOS CONCEPTION OF TRANSLATION MIGHT LEND
ITSELF TO MANIPULATION BY IDEOLOGUES WHO TRANSLATE THE PAST ACCORDING TO
THEIROWNDOCTRINES3UCHISTHECASEIN,E3ERMENTDESBARBARES AS
3I -OH MANIPULATES THE PAST FOR HIS OWN ENDS )MPORTANTLY HOWEVER
,ARBIRECOGNIZESTHISPROBLEM CONTENDINGTHAT ,HISTOIREAMILLEVISAGES
CHACUN LE VOIT COMME IL LUI PLAsT 3ANSAL    !LTHOUGH THIS
DANGER CANNOT BE CIRCUMVENTED ALTOGETHER THE FACT THAT IT IS ACKNOWL
EDGED IS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS SAFEGUARDING AGAINST INSTRUMENTALIZATION
4HUSIFTHEPROCESSOFWORKINGTHROUGH WITHITSEMPHASISONHYBRIDAND
INTERCONNECTEDHISTORIES DOESNOTPROFFERANIDEALSOLUTIONTOTHISPROBLEM
BYITSVERYNATUREITCHALLENGESHISTORICALANDMEMORIALDISCOURSE CALLING
INTOQUESTIONDOMINANTPARADIGMSASTHEYARISE
)F3ANSALAND+HADRADONOTPROVIDEAFULLYDEVELOPEDMODELOFWORKING
UPONTHEPAST THISISBECAUSETOPOSITATOTALIZINGMETHODOLOGYWOULDBETO
UNDERMINE THE CRITICAL AIMS OF WORKING THROUGH )NDEED THEIR DETECTIVE
NOVELSSUGGESTTHATWORKINGTHROUGHTHEPAST ASITPERTAINSTOLARGERHISTOR
ICALCONFIGURATIONS ISANINTERMINABLEQUEST NOTFORASINGULARTRUTH BUTA
SERIES OF TRUTHS THAT INTERSECT INFORM AND CHALLENGE ONE ANOTHER 5NLIKE
MELANCHOLIC RESPONSES TO TRAUMA THAT ARE RETROSPECTIVE AND REPETITIVE IN
NATURE WORKINGTHROUGH LIKEDETECTIVEFICTION ISINVOLVEDINASUSTAINED
PROBLEMATICRELATIONBETWEEN;=THEPASTANDTHEPRESENT,A#APRA
  $ISPARATE MNEMONIC AND HISTORICAL REFERENTS CANNOT BE MADE INTO A
TOTALIZINGWHOLEBECAUSETHEPASTCANNEVERBEFULLYRECOVEREDINSTEAD THE
ON GOINGTASKISTOREINTERPRETCONNECTIONSBETWEENDIFFERENTGROUPSACCORD
ING TO THE EMERGENCE OF NEW EVIDENCE ALL THE WHILE REALIZING THAT THESE
THREADSWILLNEVERMERGESEAMLESSLYINTOACOHERENTMEMORIALNARRATIVE)F
MELANCHOLIA FORECLOSES AN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER THEN WORKING
THROUGH CONVERSELY ENCOURAGESTHESUBJECTTOBEOPENTOTHEWAYINWHICH
MEMORYISCONTINUOUSLYANDFUNDAMENTALLYRECONSTITUTEDBYTHEOTHER
-OSTIMPORTANTLY INREFUSINGTOPROFFERAFINALIZEDMODELOFWORKINGTHROUGH
3ANSALAND+HADRAENCOURAGETHEREADERTODEVELOPHISORHEROWNAPPROACH
THUS INSPIRING THE CRITICAL MODES OF THINKING THAT ARE VITAL TO EMERGENT
MNEMONIC MODELS 4HE TEXTS ARE IMPORTANT NOT MERELY BECAUSE OF THE


,UCY"RISLEY

HISTORICAL TRUTHS THEY LAY BARE THEN BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR WIDER MESSAGE
WORKINGTHROUGH THEPAST IS ANINTERMINABLE PROCESS THAT BEGINSNOT WITH
THETRANSMISSIONOFKNOWLEDGE BUTWITHITSCRITICALRECEPTION4ODAY ASPOST
COLONIAL!LGERIAMARKSITSTHYEAROFINDEPENDENCE APROCESSOFWORKING
THROUGHSEEMSASVITALASEVERIF IN3ANSALSWORDS WEARETOSEETHEEMER
GENCE OF UNE !LGmRIE PLURIELLE OUVERTE SUR LE MONDE RmCONCILImE AVEC SON
HISTOIREETCEUXQUILONTOCCUPmE MoMEPAREFFRACTION3ANSAL 
2EFERENCES
!DORNO 4HEODOR 4HEMEANINGOFWORKINGTHROUGHTHEPAST IN2ODNEY
,IVINGSTONE ET AL EDS #AN /NE ,IVE AFTER !USCHWITZ ! 0HILOSOPHICAL 2EADER
3TANFORD3TANFORD5NIVERSITY0RESS PP
"ARCLAY &IONA  7RITING 0OSTCOLONIAL &RANCE (AUNTING ,ITERATURE AND THE
-AGHREB ,ANHAM -$,EXINGTON"OOKS
"EINTKER -ICHAEL 2EMEMBERINGGUILTASASOCIALPROJECT3OMEREFLECTIONS
ONTHECHALLENGEOFWORKINGTHROUGHTHEPAST 3TUDIESIN#HRISTIAN%THICS 
PP
"ROOKS 0ETER  2EADING FOR THE 0LOT $ESIGN AND )NTENTION IN .ARRATIVE
#AMBRIDGE -!(ARVARD5NIVERSITY0RESS
"ROPHY 3ARAH  7ITNESSING !)$3 7RITING 4ESTIMONY AND THE 7ORK OF
-OURNING 4ORONTO5NIVERSITYOF4ORONTO0RESS
"UTLER *UDITH 0RECARIOUS,IFETHE0OWERSOF-OURNINGAND6IOLENCE ,ONDON
6ERSO
#ANU #LAUDIA  ,E 0OLAR MAGHRmBIN SOUS LA PLUME DE 9ASMINA +HADRA
COMMENT LENQUoTE POLICInRE DEVIENT ENQUoTE POLITIQUE "ELPHmGOR  ETCDAL
CABELPHEGORVOL?NOARTICLES??CANUCL?KHADRA?FRHTML
#HRISTIAN %DED  4HE0OST #OLONIAL$ETECTIVE "ASINGSTOKE0ALGRAVE
$ELMEULE *EAN #HRISTOPHE  ,A MORT DANS LA LITTmRATURE CONTEMPORAINE
ALGmRIENNE 9ASMINA +HADRA !ZIZ #HOUAKI "OUALEM 3ANSAL !MIN :AOUI
IN,OUIS"ERTIN!MOUGOUED ,AMORTDANSLESLITTmRATURESAFRICAINESCONTEMPO
RAINES 0ARIS(ARMATTAN PP
$ERRIDA *ACQUES ,E-ONOLINGUISMEDELAUTRE OU ,APROTHnSEDORIGINE 0ARIS
'ALILmE
 "mLIERS ,E DIALOGUE ININTERROMPU ENTRE DEUX INFINIS LE POnME 0ARIS
'ALILmE
$UFRESNE 4ODD  !GAINST &REUD #RITICS 4ALK "ACK 3TANFORD #! 3TANFORD
5NIVERSITY0RESS
%NG $AVID , AND (AN 3HINHEE  ! DIALOGUE ON 2ACIAL -ELANCHOLIA IN
$AVID,%NGAND$AVID+AZANJIANEDS ,OSSTHE0OLITICSOF-OURNING "ERKLEY
5NIVERSITYOF#ALIFORNIA0RESS PP
%VANS -ARTIN AND 0HILIPS *OHN  !LGERIA !NGER OF THE $ISPOSSESSED .EW
(AVENAND,ONDON9ALE5NIVERSITY0RESS
&FRENCH 0ATRICK  /PEN LETTER TO DETECTIVES AND PSYCHOANALYSTS !NALYSIS
ANDREADING IN7ARREN#HERNAIKANDOTHERSEDS 4HE!RTOF$ETECTIVE&ICTION
"ASINGSTOKE-ACMILLAN PP
&RASER $AVID 0OLARCAUSTE,AW JUSTICEANDTHE3HOAHIN&RENCHDETECTIVE
FICTION )NTERNATIONAL*OURNALOF,AWAND#ONTEXT  PP
&REUD 3IGMUND  0SYCHO ANALYSIS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FACTS IN
LEGALPROCEEDINGS IN*AMES3TRACHEYED 4HE3TANDARD%DITIONOFTHE#OMPLETE

$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH



0SYCHOLOGICAL7ORKSOF3IGMUND&REUD 6OLUME)8 *ENSENS'RADIVA


AND/THER7ORKS ,ONDON(OGARTH0RESS PP
 -OURNING AND MELANCHOLIA /N THE (ISTORY OF THE 0SYCHO !NALYTIC
-OVEMENT0APERSON-ETAPSYCHOLOGYAND/THER7ORKS TRANS *AMES 3TRACHEY
,ONDON(OGARTH0RESS PP
 2EMEMBERING REPEATINGANDWORKINGTHROUGH "EYONDTHE0LEASURE
0RINCIPAL AND /THER 7RITINGS TRANS *OHN 2EDDICK ,ONDON AND .EW 9ORK
0ENGUIN PP
'ODSLAND 3HELLEY  #RIMES PRESENT MOTIVES PAST ! FUNCTION OF NATIONAL
HISTORYINCONTEMPORARY3PANISHDETECTIVENOVELS #LUES  NP
'ORRORA #LAIRE  2EFLECTIONS ON CRIME AND PUNISHMENT -EMORIES OF THE
HOLOCAUSTINRECENT&RENCHCRIMEFICTION 9ALE&RENCH3TUDIES  PP
 &RENCHCRIMEFICTION&ROMGENREMINEURTOPATRIMOINECULTUREL &RENCH
3TUDIES  PP
'ROSS *ANICE "  4HE TRAGEDY OF !LGERIA 3LIMANE "ENAtSSAS DRAMA OF
TERRORISM 4HEATRE*OURNAL  PP
(ALL *ASON$AVID )NTRODUCTION4HEVOICESOFTHEPAST #LUES  PP
(IDDLESTON *ANE !SSIA$JEBAR/UTOF!LGERIA ,IVERPOOL,IVERPOOL5NIVERSITY
0RESS
(OUPPERMANS 3JEF  0SYCHANALYSE ET ,ITTmRATURE POUR UNE DISCIPLINE
MODERNISTE 2ELIEF  PP
(OWE !LEXANDER .  4HE DETECTIVE AND THE ANALYST 4RUTH KNOWLEDGE
AND PSYCHOANALYSIS IN THE HARD BOILED FICTION OF 2AYMOND #HANDLER #LUES
 NP
+HADRA 9ASMINA ,E1UATUORALGmRIENLESENQUoTESDUCOMMISSAIRE,LOB 0ARIS
'ALLIMARD
+HANNA 2ANJANA  0OST PALLIATIVE #OLONIALITYS AFFECTIVE DISSONANCE
0OSTCOLONIAL4EXT  NP
 !LGERIA#UTS7OMENAND2EPRESENTATION TOTHE0RESENT 3TANFORD
3TANFORD5NIVERSITY0RESS
+RIVINE &RmDmRIC AND 0ODROZNIK -ICHELLE  0* 3AINT -ARTIN %RREURS DE
JEUNESSE 0ERRAY EN 9VELINES4ELFRANCE
+RISTEVA *ULIA ,E6IEILHOMMEETLESLOUPS 0ARIS&AYARD
,A#APRA $OMINICK  2EPRESENTING THE (OLOCAUST (ISTORY 4HEORY 4RAUMA
)THACA#ORNELL5NIVERSITY0RESS
 (ISTORYAND-EMORYAFTER!USCHWITZ )THACA#ORNELL5NIVERSITY0RESS
 4RAUMA ABSENCE LOSS #RITICAL)NQUIRY  PP
,EFEUVRE $ANIEL 0OURENFINIRAVECLAREPENTANCECOLONIALE 0ARIS&LAMMARION
-ALTI $OUGLAS &EDWA  4HE CLASSICAL !RABIC DETECTIVE !RABICA 
PP
-ARSH +ATE )NTRODUCTION4ERRITORIALLOSSANDTHECONSTRUCTIONOF&RENCH
COLONIALIDENTITIES IN+ATE-ARSHAND.ICOLA&RITHEDS &RANCES,OST%MPIRES
&RAGMENTATION .OSTALGIA AND LA &RACTURE #OLONIALE ,ANHAM -$ ,EXINGTON
PP
-ATZKE #HRISTINEAND-UEHLEISEN 3USANNEEDS  0OSTCOLONIAL0OSTMORTEMS
#RIME&ICTIONFROMA4RANSCULTURAL0ERSPECTIVE !MSTERDAM2ODOPI
-C$OUGALL *AMES  3AVAGE WARS #ODES OF VIOLENCE IN !LGERIA S
S 4HIRD7ORLD1UARTERLY  PP



,UCY"RISLEY

.AQVI &ATIMA  4HE ,ITERARY AND #ULTURAL 2HETORIC OF 6ICTIMHOOD 7ESTERN
%UROPE "ASINGSTOKE0ALGRAVE-ACMILLAN
0ANKEJEFF 3ERGIUS -Y2ECOLLECTIONSOF3IGMUND&REUD IN-URIEL'ARDINER
ED AND TRANS 4HE 7OLF -AN BY THE 7OLF -AN .EW 9ORK "ASIC "OOKS
PP
0EARSON .ELSAND3INGER -ARC EDS $ETECTIVE&ICTIONINA0OSTCOLONIALAND
4RANSNATIONAL7ORLD &ARNHAM 3URREY!SHGATE
0YRHyNEN (ETA  -AYHEMAND-URDER.ARRATIVEAND-ORAL0ROBLEMSINTHE
$ETECTIVE3TORY 4ORONTO5NIVERSITYOF4ORONTO0RESS
2ICUR 0AUL $ELINTERPRmTATIONESSAISUR&REUD 0ARIS3EUIL
2OSELLO -IREILLE 4HE2EPARATIVEIN.ARRATIVES7ORKSOF-OURNINGIN0ROGRESS
,IVERPOOL,IVERPOOL5NIVERSITY0RESS
2OTHBERG -ICHAEL  "ETWEEN !USCHWITZ AND !LGERIA -ULTIDIRECTIONAL
MEMORYANDTHECOUNTERPUBLICWITNESS #RITICAL)NQUIRY  PP
 -ULTIDIRECTIONAL -EMORY 2EMEMBERING THE (OLOCAUST IN THE !GE OF
$ECOLONIZATION 3TANFORD3TANFORD5NIVERSITY0RESS
3ANDER * $ARE # AND (OLDER !  "ASIC PSYCHOANALYTICAL CONCEPTS )8
WORKINGTHROUGH "RITISH*OURNALOF0SYCHIATRY  PP
3ANSAL "OUALEM ,E3ERMENTDESBARBARES 0ARIS'ALLIMARD
 0OSTERESTANTE!LGER,ETTREDECOLnREETDESPOIRgMESCOMPATRIOTES 0ARIS
'ALLIMARD
3CAGGS *OHN #RIME&ICTION ,ONDON2OUTLEDGE
3HAW #HRISTOPHER AND #HASE -ALCOLM  4HE )MAGINED 0AST (ISTORY AND
.OSTALGIA -ANCHESTER-ANCHESTER5NIVERSITY0RESS
3ILVERMAN -AX  )NTERCONNECTED HISTORIES (OLOCAUST AND EMPIRE IN THE
CULTURALIMAGINARY &RENCH3TUDIES  PP
3TORA "ENJAMIN  (ISTOIRE DE L!LGmRIE DEPUIS LINDmPENDANCE 0ARIS ,A
$mCOUVERTE
 1UAND UNE MmMOIRE DE GUERRE PEUT EN CACHER UNE AUTRE
COLONIALE IN0ASCAL"LANCHARD .ICOLAS"ANCELAND3ANDRINE,EMAIREEDS
,A &RACTURE COLONIALE LA SOCImTm FRANlAISE AU PRISME DE LHmRITAGE COLONIAL 0ARIS
,A$mCOUVERTE PP
 'UERRED!LGmRIEENTREENFERMEMENTETREFUSDUDEUIL HTTPWWW
UNIV PARISFRBENJAMINSTORAARTICLESRECENTS GUERRE DALGERIE ENTRE
ENFERMEMENT ET REFUS DU DEUIL PAR BENJAMIN STORA INTERVENTION AU COLLOQUE
L LANGAGE VIOLENCE R ORGANISE PAR LASSOCIATION PRIMO LEVI  JUIN  
!CCESSED.OVEMBER
3TORA "ENJAMINAND,ECLnRE 4HIERRY ,A'UERREDESMmMOIRES,A&RANCEFACE
gSONPASSmCOLONIAL ,A4OURD!IGUES,!UBE
6AN DER -ERWE #HRIS . AND 'OBODO -ADIKIZELA 0UMLA  .ARRATING OUR
(EALING0ERSPECTIVESON7ORKINGTHROUGH4RAUMA .EWCASTLE#AMBRIDGE3CHOLARS
0UBLISHING

3UGGESTEDCITATION
"RISLEY , $ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH)NVESTIGATINGTHEPOST
COLONIALPASTIN"OUALEM3ANSALS,E3ERMENTDESBARBARES AND9ASMINA
+HADRAS ,A 0ART DU MORT  )NTERNATIONAL *OURNAL OF &RANCOPHONE 3TUDIES
 PP DOIIJFS?

$ETECTIVEFICTIONANDWORKINGTHROUGH



#ONTRIBUTORDETAILS
,UCY "RISLEY IS CURRENTLY LECTRICE DANGLAIS AT THE bCOLE NORMALE SUPmRIEURE IN ,YON
3HEISALSOA$0HILCANDIDATEIN&RANCOPHONE!LGERIANLITERATUREAT4HE1UEENS
#OLLEGE /XFORD ANDSPENTLASTYEARASA6ISITING3CHOLARAT#OLUMBIA5NIVERSITY(ER
RESEARCHFOCUSESONTHETHEORIZATIONOFLOSSINTHENOVELSOF"OUALEM3ANSAL !SSIA
$JEBAR AND 9ASMINA +HADRA 3HE HAS PUBLISHED IN 2ESEARCH IN !FRICAN ,ITERATURES
 ANDHERARTICLEON+HADRASQUOIRoVENTLESLOUPSAND'ILLO0ONTECORVOS,A
"ATAILLE D!LGER WAS RECENTLY PUBLISHED AS PART OF AN EDITED COLLECTION $E'RUYTER
 3HEHASARTICLESFORTHCOMINGON$ANY,AFERRInRE !SSIA$JEBARAND"OUALEM
3ANSAL
#ONTACT4HE1UEENS#OLLEGE (IGH3TREET /XFORD/8!7 5+
% MAILLUCYBRISLEY GMAILCOM
,UCY"RISLEYHASASSERTEDHERRIGHTUNDERTHE#OPYRIGHT $ESIGNSAND0ATENTS!CT
 TOBEIDENTIFIEDASTHEAUTHOROFTHISWORKINTHEFORMATTHATWASSUBMITTED
TO)NTELLECT,TD



,UCY"RISLEY

Copyright of International Journal of Francophone Studies is the property of Intellect Ltd. and
its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the
copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email
articles for individual use.

You might also like