A tale of two women

Abstract

The present dissertation undertakes a comparative study of two female autobiographies, Fadhma Aïth Mansour Amrouche's Histoire de ma Vie (1968) and Helen Keller’s The Story of my Life (1903). It focuses on their narrative of self and sociocultural aspects that underpin the common ground of marginalization that both authors experienced in different contexts. Through a critical reading that intertwines autobiography and sociocultural context, the study reveals that Amrouche and Keller represent themselves by autobiography writing. This type of writing acts as a kind of border space shaped by narrative strategies and sociocultural dynamics, which serve as subtle layers for their introspective storytelling. Ultimately the study reveals overlooked elements in autobiographical writings of women who have been historically silenced due to societal constraints or disability