A Study Of Individual Trauma In A 9/11 Novel The Echo Maker

Richard Powers(1957—) is a great and representative writer in contemporary American literature. Up to now, he has published 11 novels since he issued his first novel in 1985. All his works have been well received by the readers. Powers has his unique writing style and mode which bring his novels to the great attention of the literary critics. In the year 2006, Powers issued his new novel The Echo Maker which has been a success and awarded that year’s National Book Award. Critics have commented on some aspects such as its themes, narrative styles and relevance to 9/11 Attacks and praise that Powers weaves modern technology in his works subtly without setting any hinder to the readers. Through close reading, the author of the thesis has noticed that the car accident is the main traumatic cause in the novel and triggers a series of individual traumas, but previous critics did not reveal the rich implications of traumas in this novel well. That’s why this thesis concentrates on the causes of the protagonists’ individual trauma and their symptoms based on the trauma theory.Adopting Freudian psychological trauma theory and Caruth’s trauma theory, based on psychoanalysis and trauma culture critique, the author of this thesis tends to illustrate the influence and changes that individual traumas have on the lives of protagonists. Trauma narrative is a direct way of demonstrating traumatic history and traumatic memories. Through trauma narrative, traumatic events are brought forth to the readers and arouse sympathy in readers.This thesis embodies the following parts: first, there is a brief introduction to Richard Powers and the Echo Maker as well as the new literary branch 9/11 novels. Second, through a close reading of the novel and relevant literature review home and abroad, the topic of the thesis is fixed. Third, there is a brief introduction to critical approaches and an analysis of uncovering the real cause of individual trauma and the novel’s themes based on the studies of traumatic causes, traumatic symptoms and traumatic healing. Moreover, through analyzing the novel’s trauma narrative, grasping the inner changes of each character, the thesis will better reveal the hidden relations and themes. Fourth, from the relation between the novel and 9/11 Literature and the analysis of individual trauma, the thesis digs the underlying causes which lead to the collective trauma and identity puzzlement. Last part is the conclusion. That is, those three traumatized individuals are not the isolate ones; they three are united by a traumatic treatment and become a whole. Furthermore, the three individuals demonstrate different dimensions of the same thing from different angles. In addition, through the study of individual trauma, the thesis aims to draw public’s attention to those people who have experienced some trauma directly or indirectly, or even to the impacts of traumas on people worldwide to some extent in the hope that the post 9/11 issues can be better handled. The study of The Echo Maker is a means to help heal the trauma caused by 9/11 Attacks and to reexamine the cultural clashes from a broader perspective.