Trauma And Treatment In Katherine Anne Porter's Short Stories

Katherine Anne Porter is a prominent female writer of short stories in the southern America in the 20th century.She has gone through hardships in her life:the loss of her mother at the age of two,the abandonment of her religious belief as a teenager,broken relationship with family,several failed marriages,tuberculosis and a near-death experience from pandemic influenza,and she also witnessed the setbacks of the world in the 20th century:the decline of the southern society of the United States,the world economic crisis of 1929,the devastation of the world by the First World War and the heavy disasters brought to human society by the Second World War.Having been through the vicissitudes of life,the novelist records the frustrations and traumas of herself,America,and even the world in the 20th century in her own works,which are mostly excellent short stories,though small in number.The majority of Porter's creations come from her personal experience,so that the dark themes of her works are related to the trauma she has suffered during her lifetime.Consequently,her short stories are full of traumatic memories and reflections on childhood,family,marriage,humanity,society and wars.The result of literary research shows that systematic studies on the trauma and treatment in Porter's works are scarce in China.In view of this,based on trauma theory,this thesis explores the different types of trauma involved in Porter's short stories,analyzes the traumatic events,symptoms,influences and causes,and reveals different ways people have chosen to cure trauma as well as the author's deep thinking on trauma in particular social and historical situations.Trauma theory is a theory that gives priority to the analysis of traumatic events,symptoms and treatment of trauma.Judith Herman has proposed three stages to cope with trauma:first,to build a sense of security.The victims have to regain strength and take the initiative to build a safe living environment for themselves so as to gain a sense of security;second,to recall,narrate and communicate traumatic events with others.People face the trauma directly through remembrance and mourning to restore courage and confidence;third,to re-establish contact with others,find a new self,and face the future life bravely.To study Porter's short stories from the perspective of trauma and treatment,it is necessary to investigate the traumatic events,causes,symptoms and effects of trauma in her works,so as to further explore the ways to recovery and the impact of trauma on society and the times.Therefore,this thesis analyzes the traumas involved in Porter's works on the basis of trauma theory,and divides them into the following categories in accordance with the various victims from a gradually expanding scope:childhood trauma,female trauma,family trauma,national trauma,and public trauma.There are nine short stories involved,including "He","The Circus","The Jilting of Granny Weatherall","Maria Concepcion",Old Mortality,Noon Wine,Hacienda,Pale Horse,Pale Rider and The Leaning Tower,By classifying the traumatic subjects in Porter's "short stories," analyzing the responses of each victim one by one,and exploring the particular and universal causes of trauma,this paper finally reveals that the different methods Porter seeks for to tackle trauma are in line with Judith Herman's three stages of recovery.Among the numerous victims in Porter's works,children could merely face the cruel reality helplessly and passively;women choose to fight against the patriarchal world;family members try to break the shackles of family and society,but they are doomed to fail;the future of the common people's efforts to find an outlet out of the turbulent world is uncertain.Porter points out sharply that people in social life can hardly get rid of trauma,but they still keep fighting with hope.While deepening the understanding of Porter's short stories,this paper tries to increase readers' attention to psychological trauma,enhance their awareness of trauma,and help them learn how to deal with trauma in different ways as well as proving Porter's concern and deep thinking on trauma in the context of social history.