The concept of identity has become a central theme in various fields of social sciences and contemporary cultural studies, which have focused on the elements of cultural identity and its dimensions for both individuals and groups. This importance stems from the role of identity in affirming human existence and distinguishing one’s being from others. Identity has also been one of the most important issues raised in literary works, especially in novels, which have sought to convey one or even several cultural identities in their discourses, often revealed through their aesthetic elements. In this context, the novel “Houbah and the Journey in Search of the Awaited Mahdi” by Ezzedine Jellaouji appears as a representation of a cultural identity that its linguistic imagination seeks to affirm, elevate and reveal, alongside a counter-cultural identity - which can be described as such - that has sought to erase the opposing cultural identity by all means, thus outlining what is known as the identity conflict between the self and the other. This is particularly important as the novel represents an important phase in Algerian history, namely the period of colonial existence. Consequently, this study aims to uncover the cultural references that shape identity within this narrative discourse, according to the representations and cultural systems it presents, which carry numerous underlying implications that delineate the dimensions of identity and the forms of identity conflict within it.

Identity, narrative discourse, cultural representations, underlying systems.