Exploring Franco-Moroccan Colonial and Social Drama through an Ethnographic Lens: A Study of Paul Bowles’s The Spider’s House

This article examines Paul Bowles’s The Spider's House through the lens of literary anthropology, focusing on Morocco’s socio-cultural transformation during the anti-colonial struggle of the 1950s. While Bowles’s works have faced critiques for perpetuating Orientalist tropes, this study argues that The Spider’s House transcends such criticisms by functioning as a nuanced form of ethnographic fiction. Using Victor Turner’s concept of “social drama,” the article demonstrates how the novel captures the dynamic tensions between colonialism, nationalism, and tradition. Bowles’s portrayal of Morocco reflects not only political conflict but also personal liminality, where characters navigate the complex interplay between belonging, identity, and change.