THE TEMPORAL FIELDS IN THÉRÈSE DESQUEYROUX BY FRANÇOIS MAURIAC

Abstract

This article explores the representation of time in linguistics and literature, highlighting its subjective and malleable nature. Drawing on the work of linguists who demonstrate that time, as expressed in language, does not necessarily reflect an objective reality but rather results from a cognitive and discursive construction, the study emphasizes the concept of the temporal field - understood as a mental organization of events based on reference points chosen by the speaker. This article illustrates its argument through narrative examples. It specifically examines temporal flexibility in everyday speech and fictional narratives, where verb tenses and contextual markers enable the transposition of temporal frameworks. The analysis focuses on Thérèse Desqueyroux, a novel by François Mauriac, to show how temporal variations structure the narration and enrich the understanding of characters and events. The article also highlights the temporal field manipulation in literature, a narrative strategy that makes the subjectivity of memory and perception visible in the main character, thereby underscoring the complexity of time as a linguistic and cognitive category.