Navigating the Shadows: Narratives of Trauma and Disability in Lisa Genova’s Novel “Still Alice”

Abstract

The pragmatic illustration of the protagonist suffering from a rare neurological diseases in Lisa Genova’s novel Still Alice provides an ideal perspective for studying the psychological trauma in pathological fiction, a subset of science fiction. The novel is not intended as a “cure” or a success story, but primarily a aid in dealing with memory loss, orientation and family relationships inevitable. This research article presents a new analysis of trauma related to “neurological” genre, followed by an analysis of the narrative and literary techniques used by the author to illustrate the traumatic episodes in her novel. The analysis provide a science fiction writers especially to those interested in medical and literature, the opportunity to portray trauma more accurately in their work. It will further broaden the scope of phenomology, narrative theory and genre and criticism in literary studies.