En quête des mystères de la mémoire sensorielle : manipuler la mémoire affective. Le cas de « Sauvée » de Guy de Maupassant
In quest of sensory memory mysteries: manipulating memory reactivation in “Sauvée” by Guy de Maupassant

Summary/Abstract: As a fine observer of human psychology, Maupassant now goes even further. He plunges into the unconscious and the mystery of psyche. Maupassant’s inquiry is at work in the short story “Sauvée” narrating an episode of triggering involuntary sensory memory. The author leads us to an examination of the mechanics of forced sensual memory retrieval as a manoeuvre used in a manipulative seduction scheme. The amusing effect of the seemingly simple anecdotal storyline conceals the depth of meaning that surpasses the simplicity of the anecdote. This article discusses the way in which the provoked memory recollection scenes are depicted, by looking at how meaning is conveyed through a network of various psycho-sociocultural ‘factors’ at play: the sphere of senses involving sensory and sensual systems participation, impulsive behaviour, sociocultural context and the influence of relevant scientific theories known in 19th century France, while Maupassant’s writing style and technique give the text its complexity.

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