▁under pay ing ▁the ▁Al ger ian ▁workers ▁who ▁would ▁provide ▁the ▁man power ▁to ▁drive ▁France ' s ▁post - war ▁rev ital ization . ▁An ▁over wh el ming ▁majority ▁of ▁male ▁Al ger ian ▁imm igr ants ▁were ▁employed ▁as ▁construction ▁workers , ▁such ▁as ▁Az ou z ▁Beg ag ' s ▁father , ▁Bou z id ▁Beg ag . ▁Az ou z ▁notes ▁the ▁long ▁hours ▁and ▁ar du ous ▁work ▁that ▁his ▁father ▁end ures ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁his ▁family , ▁obser ving ▁him ▁leaving ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁the ▁building ▁site ▁at ▁ 5 ▁o ' clock ▁in ▁the ▁morning ▁early ▁on ▁the ▁novel . ▁Bou z id ' s ▁ins u fficient ▁sal ary ▁becomes ▁evident ▁in ▁an ▁exchange ▁between ▁a ▁prior ▁resident ▁of ▁the ▁cha â ba , ▁asking ▁Bou z id ▁where ▁he ▁will ▁find ▁the ▁money ▁to ▁move ▁into ▁a ▁new ▁a partment ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁ban lie ues ▁of ▁Lyon . ▁ ▁Qu ot as ▁and ▁Family ▁" Re - group ing " ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁the ▁French ▁government ▁en act ed ▁a ▁strict ▁qu ota ▁that ▁permitted ▁only ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁Al ger ians ▁to ▁imm igr ate ▁to ▁France ▁per ▁year . ▁This ▁qu ota ▁was ▁a ▁manifest ation ▁of ▁the ▁par ano ia ▁and ▁host ility ▁directed ▁toward ▁les ▁al ger iens ▁that ▁was ▁legit im ized ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁conscious ness ▁during ▁the ▁Al ger ian ▁War . ▁At ▁the ▁same