التجريب في القصة الجزائرية القصيرة

Abstract

This thesis examines the manifestations of experimentation in Algerian short stories through the analysis of selected narrative examples by their authors: El Ayed Ben Arous, Khaled Sahli, and Said Boutajine. These stories fall within the time frame corresponding to the first two decades of the 21st century.Based on the nature of the study, which necessitated adopting a methodology aligned with the intended objectives, the research was structured according to the following plan:Introduction: This section provides a theoretical foundation for the intellectual currents that laid the groundwork for modernity and postmodernity by tracing the philosophical and intellectual roots that paved the way for these transformations. It specifically examines the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment periods as two pivotal phases that profoundly influenced the contours of human thought, shifting its trajectory from one paradigm to an entirely different one.During the Enlightenment period, the study focused on the most influential aspects of this era, particularly its intellectual and epistemological extensions. It analyzed the fundamental ideas associated with rationalism and empiricism, as led by the English thinker Francis Bacon and the French philosopher Voltaire. The research examined the depth of their intellectual experiences and the profound normative questions they raised concerning humanity and the universe, each according to his unique perspective and new vision of the world.The introduction then moved on to discuss some of the flaws and shortcomings of these representatives of the Enlightenment era, paving the way for a discussion on the subsequent phase: Post-Enlightenment..In the Post-Enlightenment phase, the study uncovered the most significant non-normative foundations related to holism, pluralism, and relativism as new starting points that began to take shape with the skeptical philosophers, surpassing the normative understanding of the Enlightenment. The study focused on Darwin and his theory of evolution and evelopment, exploring how the biological theory and its implications influenced literature after its transition into this field, providing examples to explain this vision and its origins.After this philosophical foundation of the Enlightenment and its aftermath, the introduction moves to a section titled "Traditional Transitional Movements." In this section, the study analyzes several movements within this period: Classicism, which focuses on regressive development and the imitation of the ancients, prioritizing reason over imagination; Romanticism, emerging from the decline of Classicism, emphasizing emotion, the human self, and imagination; and Symbolism, which arose as a direct reaction to these movements, using symbols and indirect suggestion to express complex thoughts, surpassing the constraints of language. The study also explores how both Romanticism and Symbolism extended their influence on the Arab world. Since the introduction as a whole is an expression of the historical extension of experimentation in its early, unannounced appearances, it always concludes with a summary that connects it to this context. The first chapter follows the introduction, and it focuses on the avant-garde movements. Through this, the study begins by discussing the conceptual framework of the term and the reasons for its emergence, then proceeds to review the most prominent schools that fall under this category, analyzing their impact on the development of artistic and linguistic techniques.Due to the large number of these schools, three of them were selected, in the following order: Futurism, which is concerned with .the total rejection of any artistic or literary elements connected to the past, surpassing them to focus on the future as a dynamic movement that reflects the face of contemporary life and its rapid transformations.The study then discusses Dadaism and the ideas it represents, adhering to the principle of negation and the elimination of previous movements through the concept of destruction, absurdity, and ridicule of everything related to art and beauty. In this context, it fought art with "non-art," as a means of expressing the irrationality that overshadowed the world. The study also explores the Surrealist movement and its ideas, which complement the movements that preceded it. It provides an analysis of its relationship with the psychoanalytic theories of "Freud" and draws inspiration from them to serve its artistic and intellectual vision. The study then shifts to discuss the most significant effects of Surrealism on modern Arab thought, particularly in Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon, which are the countries most influenced by this movement. The chapter concludes its discussion of avant-garde ovements with a section titled "Avant-Garde in the Balance of Experimentation," in which it attempts to link this crucial phase with experimentation, demonstrating the significance of its role in shaping it. The research then transitions to another section within the same chapter, titled "Experimentation." Here, the study delves into the essence of experimentation and the critical views that define it as a creative practice that transcends traditional narrative forms. It traces its conceptual roots in philosophical and literary thought, examining its characteristics and references, culminating in its connection to both Modernism and Postmodernism. The study highlights the nature of the relationship between each movement and experimentation. .In the second chapter, the research attempts to address all aspects related to the Algerian short story, starting with its conceptual and erminological foundation. It then discusses the emergence of the short story in both the Western and Arab worlds, followed by a dedicated discussion of the Algerian short story. The study outlines its development paths and the pivotal milestones that helped solidify its evolving structure, such as the 1970s, the events of the 1990s, and the period of contemporary times, which is characterized by openness to the world and the transformations of the modern era.The third chapter represented the manifestations of experimentation in the Algerian short story from an applied perspective. It involved analyzing selected short story samples and uncovering the xperimental features that emerged within their narrative structures, which varied between narrative, imaginative, and linguistic dimensions.The selected short story samples included:-Two short stories: The Shadows of the Sidr Tree and The Sun from the Eastern Side of Our Neighborhood, both from the short story collection Breaking the Winds by the writer El Eid Ben Arous.-One short story: Journey to the Edge of Limits from the short story collection Hell Beneath the Clothes by the writer Khaled Sahli.-One short story: The Whispering Demon from the short story collection The Death of the Dead Man by the writer Said Boutajine.The study concludes with a summary of the main findings presented in a series of points, answering the central questions posed in the research problem introduced in the beginning. Through these results, it is confirmed that the Algerian short story has managed to take promising steps toward embracing new experimental horizons. This has allowed it to transcend classical forms of writing and engage in the pathways of global modernist .literature. At the same time, it has maintained its local specificity and Algerian spirit by investing in its cultural and historical heritage and drawing inspiration from its social environment with all its complexities. This has given it a distinctive narrative identity that strengthens its position within both the Arab and global literary scenes