Abstract

Marie Cardinal's novel Les Grands Desordres explores the power of biography and fictional writing to reveal the human world in ways that elude the grasp of an abstract and academic psychology. This essay examines Cardinal's narrative treatment of a Parisian psychologist who, at the beginning of her career, is convinced that natural science will contribute to human knowledge and will reduce suffering. However, a personal crisis makes her question her basic assumptions and leads her to discover the spiritual wealth and revealing powers of narrative writing. The bond between reader and writer is interpreted as an alliance between a host and a guest that conquers narcissism and isolation by building and inhabiting a neighborly world