The presence of women in Leïla Slimani’s work

Abstract

This article aims to study the presence of women in Leïla Slimani’s work, and to analyze the subjects that are related to women’s identity in her work. In her two first novels and in her latest testimony book, Leïla Slimani seems to be very interested in the image of women and in the role that they play in our society. The sex addiction of Adèle in Dans le jardin de l’ogre (2014), the image of the mother and the babysitter in Chanson douce (2016), and the testimony of women in Sexe et mensonges: la vie sexuelle au Maroc (2017c), show the point of view of Slimani about contemporary women in her work. This will study different subjects such as sexuality, maternity, family, violence, power and religion, emphasising the importance of the construction of women’s identity in the contemporary society.