The Dynamics and Representations of Internal Discourse: The Case of Hocine Allam’s Novel “Khatwa fi al-Jasad” (LIT: A Step in the Body)

Abstract

Contemporary Algerian fiction has become an expansive domain for experimentation and the renewal of narrative techniques across all their constitutive elements. Observers of its evolution note a distinct shift by Algerian authors toward adopting internal discourse mechanisms. This shift imparts a subjective dimension to their texts, translating the depths of characters, revealing their inner worlds, and strengthening their connection to reality as it intertwines with their thoughts and memories-thereby engendering a rich, multi-layered narrative structure.
The novel Khatwa fi al-Jasad (A Step in the Body) by Hocine Allam serves as a profound model of this technique. In this work, internal discourse dominates the narrative space, serving as a window that allows the reader to penetrate the characters' internal worlds, access their unspoken thoughts, and examine their psychological dimensions. This facilitates an understanding of their identity conflicts, psychological and social fragmentation, and the crises of alienation and emotional chaos simmering within them.