Abstract:

This study examines the impact of paternal trauma during the Second World War in the Austrian novelist Thomas Bernhard's "Child," which incorporates autobiographical elements and childhood memories, and in Hans-Ulrich Treichel's "Lost," which explores family alienation and psychological violence within the mother-father-child triangle. Both novels share the presence of stepfather characters, and the children in both narratives are influenced by this trauma. Child narrators take center stage in the narrative worlds of the works under comparison. Within this context, the novels "Child" and "Lost," where the father figure assumes prominence, provide crucial data for understanding the child's perspective in examining the father-son relationship. Both novels are regarded as works offering concrete examples for a comparative study. Consequently, "The Child" and "The Lost Child," both spotlighting the father figure, are considered valuable sources for studying the father-son relationship and supplying concrete instances for a comparative analysis. In these two works centered around the child, besides delving into the trauma experienced by the father within the child's world, emphasis is placed on the adverse effects of this trauma on the child's personality development and psychological well-being. The study attempts to discuss the similarities and differences between the two works, serving as a foundation for psychological analysis.

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