ABSTRACT
Francophone literature has given a privileged place to the works of writers from the Maghreb. Algerian national literature has evolved slowly but promisingly within the field of Francophone North African literature, characterized by its variety, originality, and need to evolve. This chapter discusses several approaches to teaching literary and cinematic works by contemporary Francophone Algerian women writers and directors. It highlights how women characters articulate and express concerns regarding identity and resistance, gender roles and family dynamics, sexuality and difference, marriage and womanhood. The chapter examines examples of reading guides, activities, and assessment tools. It focuses on filmic and textual analysis, Leila Aslaoui’s short stories in the anthology Coupables reveal a tight connection to the author’s professional occupation with justice, politics, and women’s rights in Algeria. Students have the opportunity to understand the relationship between generations from a feminist perspective and, in particular, how the narrator and her mother perceive being a woman.
