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Guilt and Betrayal in the Works of Azouz Begag and Linda Lê

University of Melbourne, kelc{at}unimelb.edu.au

Tess Do

University of Melbourne, dot{at}unimelb.edu.au

Azouz Begag and Linda Lê, although of different backgrounds, share the common legacy of French colonisation, a legacy which translates in their works into obsessive feelings of guilt and betrayal of their origins. This article provides a comparative analysis of the different ways in which the two writers deal with questions of integration and identity, guilt and betrayal. Guilt results from what is perceived as betrayal in the choice of the French language (Lê), in the desire for integration into French society at the expense of the community (Begag), but principally, for both authors in their relationship to their father. Writing about the father, initially experienced as a strong source of guilt, becomes, for both, the means of expiating this guilt and also of redefining their identity.

Key Words: betrayal • collective vs individual identity • Francophone literature • guilt • hybridity • postcolonialism

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