Redefining Banlieue spaces through centripetal and centrifugal writing : linguistic heterotopias and narratives of resistance in post-2005 French literature

Bouaddis, Mohammed and Baker, Charlotte and Thakkar, Amit (2023) Redefining Banlieue spaces through centripetal and centrifugal writing : linguistic heterotopias and narratives of resistance in post-2005 French literature. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Capturing post-2005 cultural productions, this thesis examines the banlieuesque narratives, situating the French banlieue novel within the realm of linguistic heterotopias, and intersecting it with the fields of postmodern, postcolonial, and cultural studies. It employs Foucault’s model of power and resistance to understand heterotopias as linguistic spaces in banlieue narratives, exploring how these spaces, under Foucault’s framework, locate and neutralise power relations. It scrutinises the literary and linguistic depiction of banlieue settings within the framework of ‘les émeutes/après-émeutes’ cultural productions, challenging the banlieue discourse médiatique. My contribution is the introduction of linguistic heterotopias as spaces for discourse contestations. This thesis utilises centripetal and centrifugal writing to illustrate resistance within both fictional and professional spheres, redefining banlieue narratives and opening new pathways of resistance. My approach strategically repositions banlieue narratives in the literary market, enhancing their commercial viability and appeal to global readership and promoting social awareness and justice. Focusing on selected novels by Faïza Guène, Insa Sané, and Rachid Santaki, the thesis is divided into three analytical chapters. Each chapter explores Foucault’s heterotopias, namely crisis, deviance, and difference, respectively. This thesis argues that linguistic heterotopias provide resistance in several ways. Chapter Four examines irony in Kiffe kiffe demain (2004), revealing the failure of the French state from a young girl’s perspective, echoing Foucault’s ‘crisis’ concept through the socio-cultural and economic impacts on her life. Chapter Five delves into linguistic violence intertwined with empowerment in Les anges s’habillent en caillera (2011) and Flic ou caillera (2013), examining language as a form of resistance and empowerment. Chapter Six analyses how intertextually integrated songs in Du plomb dans le crâne (2008) challenge conventional notions of corporeality and blackness, with music from artists such as Madonna and Rolling Stones offering new interpretations of identity. This analysis leads to the conclusion that repositions the banlieue narrative within the dynamics of writing by adopting both the centripetal and centrifugal approaches. This model is both commercially driven and socially conscious, effectively navigating the challenges of the undersubscribed politics and literature.