A Historical/Theoretical Framework

This chapter establishes a historical and theoretical framework for examining Moroccan female agency through literary works by Moroccan women. The analyzed texts position women as both subject and object of their narratives, recounting intimate experiences, critiquing sociocultural constraints, and asserting their roles in national development. Spanning the 1950s to the post-Arab Spring era, these writings lend themselves to postcolonial feminist critique, challenging stereotypes of women as passive. The chapter explores how agency emerges in authors and characters. It surveys key paradigms, particularly postcolonialism and feminism, tracing their evolution amid shifting power dynamics. Literary criticism adapts to these changes, incorporating marginalized voices—Black, feminist, and Third World literatures—into theoretical discourse. Emphasis falls on postcolonial theory, postcolonial feminism, and their intersections with movements like the 2011 Arab uprisings. While these upheavals may seem peripheral to literary studies, they echo historical instances where social movements reshaped critical thought. The chapter does not seek to overturn theories but to identify how new modes of thinking, influenced by such events, complement and complicate existing frameworks. Ultimately, this foundation underscores the enduring relevance of postcolonial feminism in studying Moroccan women’s literature.