Trauma Narrative In Man In The Dark

Paul Auster is one of the most innovative writers In America.His novel Man in the Dark(2008)has received much attention in recent years,and the study of this novel mainly focuses on its theme,character and postmodern narrative techniques.However,there are few specific discussions about trauma triggered by war,family and media in the specific context of 9/11 and the Iraq War.Therefore,this thesis analyzes the symptoms of trauma of the three characters,namely August,Miriam and Katya in the novel,traces the roots of their trauma and summarizes the strategies of healing from trauma based on trauma theory.In this way,it will provide some inspiration for modern individuals who encounter similar trauma experiences.Firstly,by analyzing Paul Auster’s descriptions of the trauma symptoms of the three main characters in the novel,this thesis argues that individuals have some special cognitive,emotional and behavioral symptoms after experiencing trauma events.August mainly shows such symptoms as insomnia and cognitive disorder,Miriam’s symptoms are mainly manifested in her avoidance and negative emotions,and Katya is silent about trauma memories and behaves abnormally.Secondly,the thesis also traces the roots of trauma of three main characters,arguing that there is a high correlation between individual trauma symptoms and their trauma roots.August’s trauma is related to his experiences of a car accident and the Iraq war.Miriam’s trauma is related to the breakdown of her origin family and the failure of her marriage.Katya’s trauma comes from her experiences of the war and the false reportage of the media about trauma events.Finally,by analyzing the life of three characters in the novel detailedly,the thesis points out that different types of trauma may have different roots,so the advisable healing strategies are also different.August faces trauma directly and employs trauma narrative to achieve the healing from trauma.Miriam mainly writes about trauma experiences to achieve reconciliation with trauma.Katya mainly watches films about women’s growth to reconstruct her Self and enhance self-understanding about the life.To sum up,Paul Auster represents some dilemmas encountered by current American individuals with delicate narrative strategies,and discloses the diverse efforts people have made to get out of these dilemmas.It will provide us with ideas for understanding different types of trauma narratives in the postmodern society.