The Feminine Denominative Dynamics in Literature: An Onomastic Analysis

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the study of proper nouns that carry violence within literary discourse against the backdrop of Yasmina Khadra's novel What Are the Monkeys Waiting For. As soon as we consider that these onomastic units are bearers of multiple values and meanings, we put Michelle Lecolle in the foreground, on a theoretical scale; Marie-Anne Paveau and Sandrine Reboul-Touré (2004) through their construction in literary discourse, Vincent Jouve (2007), Roland Barthes (1974), Genette, Eugène Nicole (1983) and their transparency, J. L. Vaxelaire (2005). The onomastic approach that we have chosen, then, through a studied methodological framework, consists in specifying that proper nouns actively participate in the construction of meaning and, by extension, in the establishment of a discourse marked by denunciation and insult
This reflection is part of the field of literary onomastics, a discipline that studies the meaning and implications of proper names in texts literary. Indeed, far from being trivial, they carry meaning and participate fully in the narrative and ideological construction of the work. In the case of What Are the Monkeys Waiting for, their choice is not a matter of chance but responds to a logic that amplifies the author's purpose, in particular by highlighting the social tensions, inequalities and power relations that run through contemporary Algerian society. Thus, we wonder how the feminine proper nouns “Nedjma, Nora Bilal, Sonia, Basma...” beyond their referential function, are shaped and transformed under the effect of discourse, contributing to the dynamics of violence in the narrative. The aim is to demonstrate that the study of proper names in literary discourse is not limited to a lexical analysis but opens the way to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of the text, by revealing the discursive strategies implemented by the author. As you explore the manière dont ces désignations façonnent la violence narrative, ce travail entend contribuer à une meilleure appréhension du rôle fondamental de l’onomastique dans la littérature et de son impact sur la réception du texte.