When Albert Memmi was born at the edge of the Jewish ghetto of Tunis in December 1920, Tunisia had been a French protectorate since 1881. As a member of an indigenous group, Memmi was considered a colonial subject; as a Jew, however, opportunities for French education through the Alliance Israélite Universelle (a colonial school system run by Jewish-French interests) and the possibility of French citizenship set him apart from his Muslim compatriots. Memmi was awarded a scholarship to the Alliance grade school and, later, to the prestigious Lycée Carnot in Tunis (1932-1939). At Carnot, Memmi was greatly influenced by his teachers Jean Amrouche and Aimé Patri, and decided to dedicate his life to the study of philosophy and literature.
With the extension of the Second World War into North
3376 words
Citation: Brozgal, Lia. "Albert Memmi". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 June 2008; last revised 03 February 2023. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=11860, accessed 22 November 2024.]
