Contemporary subjects must construct their own identities while inheriting and assimilating their ancestors’ past. The tragedies of the 20th Century have shown humanity what the end of the world could look like. Therefore, the heir lives permanently in a complex position, obsessed with the past and afraid of a future that may be characterised by ecologic and nuclear disasters. In her novels, Catherine Mavrikakis highlights the paradoxes that surround the notion of memory. Her characters are torn between remembrance as a duty towards past generations, and oblivion, which they find necessary to build their future. This study aims to analyse the importance of memory and trauma in Mavrikakis’ novel "Le Ciel de Bay City" (2008). It will particularly consider the dialectics between memory and oblivion, resentment and remorse, inheritance and survival.
