The (in) Visible Father in Moroccan Women’s Writings

Abstract

Postcolonial Moroccan women's writings significantly contribute to the re-evaluation of the father-figure. Their narratives reflect a constant battle to challenge patriarchal structures and establish a democratic "imagined community" where women are recognized and celebrated. The female voice rises, and the dominant father is reduced to invisibility as these writers assert their presence and subvert traditional gender roles. This study aims to explore how Moroccan women writers depict the father-figure in their polemical and fictional works. It scrutinizes how they have effectively portrayed the father as a formidable force challenging emancipation. The paper also examines the different manifestations of the father-figure and the various relationships these women writers establish with this pivotal element in their narratives. The findings indicate that these writers ultimately reduce the father-figure to invisibility as they appropriate narratives, feminize language, and celebrate their bodies, breaking free from the patriarchal paradigm.