Article Title
Family and Power Relations in Abdelhak Serhane’s The Man Who Comes Down from the Mountains
Abstract
Drawing on Abdelhak Serhane’s novel L’homme qui descend des montagnes, this article investigates the family as both a privileged site of socialization and a space where gendered power relations are exercised. Using gender theory as an analytical framework, it uncovers patriarchal mechanisms that structure the father/mother relationship and sustain an unequal hierarchy between the sexes. The father figure is portrayed as authoritarian and violent, asserting mastery over the household, while the mother is confined to silence, obedience, and an internalized dependence. The article argues that the novel functions as a critique of oppressive family norms and invites reflection on the tension between traditional order and possibilities of emancipation.