Die Zivilisation, Mutter!

Driss Chraïbi was born in 1926 in El Jadida, Morocco, and after graduating from high school in 1945, he moved to Paris to study chemistry and medicine. However, in 1952, he turned away from the sciences to fully dedicate himself to literature. He undertook numerous travels and worked in various professions: as an engineer, journalist, night watchman, and Arabic teacher. For his work, he received the title "Chevalier des Arts et Lettres." His novel "Civilization, Mother!" is considered one of the most original works in North African literature. Driss Chraïbi passed away in 2007 at his residence in France.

The tender and wryly depicted journey of this Moroccan mother leads from a pre-industrial world into the turbulence of this century. At the age of thirteen, she was married, and since then, despite her vibrant life force, she has led a confined existence behind the walls of her home. Her magical thinking takes hold of the new things that intrude into her life: she sees magic at work in the radio, engages in battles against the iron, stove, telephone, and other blessings of civilization. And then comes the great turning point: after twenty years, she steps outside for the first time. Initially timid, she gradually grows more confident as she conquers the previously unknown world, the market, nature, and politics. With her archaic authenticity, she, the learner, puts her environment to the test. Unintentionally, she becomes a symbolic figure, gathering a movement of Moroccan women around her.