1. Franklyn’s Dog, 2. Trauma fiction : Enforcement, healingand the role of the perpetrator

Cassam, Simon John

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore current and emerging trends within trauma fiction and the criticism surrounding it. The thesis consists of a novel, Franklyn’s Dog, that focuses on the protagonist, Jon, and his attempts to overcome and move beyond the traumatic experiences of his childhood, and a critical component that interrogates three key aspects of trauma fiction and how they are represented in my own novel. The novel incorporates many elements of trauma fiction that were prevalent in the literature reviewed in the critical component and features an atypical structure designed to disrupt narrative flow and unsettle the reader. The critical component is split into three chapters each concerned with a different topic and each reviewing different literary texts.
The first chapter evaluates two core theories of trauma fiction in light of recent research and with a consideration of the current literary canon. The first of these theories is Cathy Caruth’s idea of trauma being cyclical with the second being Anne Whitehead’s notion that trauma is transmitted from one generation to the next. The interplay between these two theories is considered here as well as a consideration of the way in which research has started to shift away from these deterministic viewpoints. To aid in the exploration of these themes, this article examines the ways in which they can be applied to two pieces of contemporary literature: Karl Ove Knuasgaard’s A Death in the Family and Zoje Stage’s Bad Apple. The ways in which these literary works can be seen to feature both the cyclical nature of trauma and its transgenerational transmissibility are highlighted in this article. This article finds that, although Caruth and Whitehead’s theories may not be applicable to real world survivors of trauma, their theories still serve to understand the ways in which trauma is represented within contemporary fiction.
The second chapter examines the ways in which a survivor of trauma may find a path to healing. By reviewing the current research into the area, it is apparent that testifying to one’s traumatic experience seems to be correlated with an ability to move beyond these experiences. Yet memory repression and a hostile social environment can often prohibit these private experiences being made public. Two examples of literary texts that demonstrate this tension Edward St. Aubyn’s Patrick Melrose novels and HanyaYanagihara’s A Little Life are discussed here as both works show the complicated relationship between trauma, testimony, and healing. This article ultimately concludes that a nuanced approach must be taken when considering how to assist a survivor on their journey towards healing, and in representations of such. An over simplified solution such as focusing too much on the act of testimony is unlikely to be beneficial to all survivors and such suggestions ignore a complicated web of interrelated factors that are often components of the long term impact of trauma.
The third chapter consolidates some of the recent theories concerning perpetrator trauma and aims to answer the question of whether studying perpetrator trauma is a worthwhile endeavour despite the ethical quandaries involved. Perpetrator trauma is viewed here as both the way in which trauma fuels the actions of perpetrators and the way in which perpetrators are traumatised by their own actions. By using Caroline Kepnes’s You and Susan Hill’s I’m the King of the Castle as examples of effectively written perpetrator trauma, it is possible to observe the ways in which contemporary authors are exploring the challenging issue of representing a character who causes great harm to another. The balance between understanding and accountability is discussed here along with a consideration of remorse that seems to be necessary for a perpetrator to feel traumatised by their own actions. This article concludes that, as writers are seeking to explore perpetrator trauma and readers are keen to read about it, it is wise to understand these representations from a critical perspective and not shy away from this responsibility even if it involves some uncomfortable discussions.

Citation

Cassam, S. J. (2023). 1. Franklyn’s Dog, 2. Trauma fiction : Enforcement, healingand the role of the perpetrator. (Thesis). Keele University

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 19, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 19, 2023
• Award Date: 2023-06