Trauma and Sensory Perception: A comparative study of cognitive response to trauma and sensory perception and processing in "The Lover" and "Ourika"

Abstract

Abstract
This paper offers a comparative analysis of trauma and cognitive response in The Lover by Marguerite Duras and Ourika by Claire de Duras, focusing on how psychological trauma reshapes perception, memory, and identity. By applying cognitive literary theory and trauma studies, the research examines how both narratives use fragmented structures, internal focalization, and sensory distortion to reflect the emotional and neurological consequences of chronic trauma. Set in colonial Vietnam and post-revolutionary France, the texts explore the lived experiences of two young women navigating racial marginalization, gender expectations, and emotional alienation. The study draws on interdisciplinary insights from neuroscience—highlighting the role of the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex in trauma processing—to deepen the analysis of disjointed memory, emotional numbing, and dissociative narrative techniques. It also integrates postcolonial feminist criticism to contextualize the protagonists’ suffering within broader systems of power and exclusion. The findings reveal that trauma in both texts transcends plot and becomes embedded in narrative form and sensory language. Ultimately, this paper argues that the Durases’ works provide not only a literary but also a psychological mapping of trauma, offering profound insights into the human condition.

Keywords:
Trauma, Cognitive Literary Theory, Sensory Perception, Marguerite Duras, Claire de Duras, Postcolonial Feminism