Algeria in France: Colette’s “Le manteau de spahi”

Colette's oblique representations of France's colonial project in Algeria are examined through her short story, “Le manteau de spahi.” Tucked away in the family's closet, the spahi's cape is a reminder of the use of Algerian troops in France's wars. The destruction of the soldier's cape represents the instability of France's colonial power during the early twentieth century. “Le manteau de spahi” shows the complex and recurring interpenetration of North Africa in France at the dawn of the twentieth century.