An overview of The Influence of Natural Disasters on Writings of Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine (1967), Ito Sei (2008) and Makenzy Orcel (2020) (Earthquakes as a Case Study)

Abstract

This article analyzes the link between the stream of consciousness techniques and the different earthquakes that rocked the globe from 1923 to 2010. The paper focuses on the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923 in Japan followed by the famous natural disaster which is the Moroccan earthquake of Agadir in 1960. This work also deals with a more recent disaster which is the Haiti earthquake of 2010.  Actually, these natural disasters have in common the stream of consciousness techniques used by the three writers. Indeed, whether it be Japanese writer Ito Sei (2008), Moroccan author Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine (1967) or Haitian author Makenzy Orcel (2020), they are all making use of the river-like methods known as the stream of consciousness techniques in their writings. The style employed in their works is referred to as “seismic writing” since it mimics the quake-caused fissured lands and turn them into literature. This paper relies on a qualitative methodology. Indeed, this approach is the most suitable one as it compares the main works of three major writers who use new literary devices as a response to the natural catastrophes of the time. The value added of this paper consists of providing a comparative study of the works of three writers from different countries while considering the ways in which they use “seismic writing” to confront the earthquakes. The study proves that each writer has his unique characteristics while sharing commonalities and differences with the others. All of the writers use a fragmented narration and also a polyphonic dimension to offer a voice to the victims. While some may employ various genres, others limit themselves to prose. This study brings about the shared aspects used while highlighting the singularities of each author.