Re-reading of the Discrimination and Rejection of Arabs in Albert's Camus’ The Stranger through Kamel Daoud’s The Meursault Investigation

Abstract

Algerian postcolonial literature has emerged as a powerful tool for contesting and reshaping the prevailing colonial narrative. This study delves into colonial power dynamics in Algeria by juxtaposing Albert Camus's The Stranger (1942) with Kamel Daoud’s The Meursault Investigation (2013), where Daoud’s novel functions as a counter-narrative to Camus’s work. It delves into the previously unexplored perspectives of characters presented in The Meursault Investigation. Haroun, the protagonist, sets out on a journey to change things in order to recover the name and identity of the "Arab." in The Stranger. Firstly, it depicted Algerian historical memory and national identity, particularly as it relates to French colonial rule in Algeria.The research employes contrapuntal reading, the way of portraying imperialism and resistance by stating Meursault as imperialist and Haroun as resistance.Through a postcolonial perspective, the study contends that Daoud reinterprets the murder's significance in The Stranger by emphasizing its historical context The research pointed out women’s status in both stories For Instance, Marie undergone sexual oppression by Meursault Whereas Meriem respected by Harun. This study looks into how Daoud was able to break down and rethink Camus' dominant colonial writing by comparing and contrasting Camus' The Stranger with Daoud's The Meursault Investigation. Daoud uses the language of the colonizers in a clever way to bring back to life the legacy and identity of the Arab Algerians, whom imperialist French colonizers erased. The study employs the 'mirror image' which is  a reversed reflection used to highlight contrasts or similarities, often to compare different perspectives or emphasize opposing themes, concept to offer a nuanced analysis of the contrasting colonial and postcolonial dynamics.