Trauma and Reality: On Hanna Krall’s Synapsy Marii H. (Maria H.’s Synapses)

Abstract

Drawing on the structure of Hanna Krall’s texts, the article demonstrates how Synapsy Marii H. [Maria H.’s Synapses] renders the experiences of people affected by trauma. The long-term effects of traumatic events penetrate multiple dimensions of life. Krall’s protagonists have endured different forms of trauma: one survived the Holocaust, while the other, her daughter-in-law, struggles with her son’s chronic illness. Both encounter difficulties in social functioning, shaped by their ways of coping with post-traumatic stress; at the same time, the communities around them rarely manage to understand their perspective. The narrative’s focus on how these women perceive reality underscores the need to recognise such perspectives and to raise collective awareness of the process and consequences of trauma.