Abstract:  As literary theories, the trauma theory and the performativity theory are interrelated in that performativity is the process of trauma representation and trauma is the object of performativity. Trauma does not preexist, but becomes one. The performativity of cultural trauma is the means by which trauma discourse is constructed. Through an exploration of the performativity of cultural trauma and of the construction of trauma discourse, this article sorts out and examines the two literary theories in question and their critical paradigms.

Key words: cultural trauma, trauma narrative, trauma discourse, memory, performativity, construction