9.2 Abstract In this Master's thesis we have attempted to interpret Émile Ajar's novel La Vie devant soi using knowledge based on the psychoanalytic theory of trans-generational transmission. This theory assumes that a person who has been the victim of a traumatic experience cannot consciously refer to it, either through embarrassment or due to the fact that the trauma cannot be referred to verbally. However, he or she can refer to such traumas subconsciously in hints or symbols, precisely because expressing traumas, or their symbolisation in words, is the most effective therapy. If the trauma is not erased, it is transferred further trans-generationally. We consider Émile Ajar's La Vie devant soi to be a suitable work for applying the above- mentioned theory, not only due to the extraordinary life story of the author, but also as concerns the novel itself. Émile Ajar is a pseudonym of the well-known author Romain Gary (born Roman Kacew) who created the character of Émile Ajar in order to write freely regardless of what was expected of Gary as an established author and moreover, a well-known supporter of de Gaulle. As Gary's play on identities was brought to light only after his death, he was the only author to have ever been awarded the Goncourt Prize twice - the second time as Émile Ajar in La Vie devant...