Book Title: Multidisciplinary Research in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Chief Editors: Dr. Jagdish Kumar Sahu, and Dr. Byram Anand
Associate Editors: Dr. J. Jayamani, and Albeen Josebh Ahmed
Co-Editors: Dr. Sunakshi Verma, and Mr. Pankaj Bharat Devre
ISBN: 978-93-7183-018-8
Chapter: 20
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59646/781/20
Authors: Mr K Mallikarjuna, and Dr BSS Bhagvan
Abstract
In today’s novel, trauma and resilience have become the mainstream of the novel, signifying the psychological, emotional and social issues faced by people in the modern world where everything is becoming more and more complex. This paper delves into the themes of trauma and resilience as represented in contemporary English novels selected for this study and their methods of coping with personal trauma, recovery and reconstruction of identity. The study is a qualitative research that uses textual analysis of literary texts and theories about trauma and resilience, as well as close reading techniques, in analyzing the characterization, structure of the text, symbolism and development of texts. The results suggest that trauma is portrayed in the novelists of the early 21st century in various scenarios, including war, displacement, abuse, loss, family problems and social isolation, and that resilience is seen in the way in which subjects are able to develop, heal, have a support network and rebuild their sense of self. The novels chosen show some similarities despite the different cultural and social backgrounds, in that they have characters who experience psychological tension and slowly find ways to cope with such difficulties and come through them. Moreover, the analysis shows that there is no suggestion of absence of suffering, but of an ongoing process of adaptation, acceptance and transformation. The literary devices such as fragmentation, multiple perspectives, symbolism and memory used in the paper are also explored as they play a crucial role in communicating the complexities of trauma and healing. This study highlights the value of current literature for promoting empathy, awareness of one’s mental and emotional needs and for facilitating relevant conversations about healing and human endurance as a result of trauma. Comparative analysis provides an insightful perspective for literary critics, teachers and scholars of literature, trauma studies and modern fiction. The results add to the existing body of work, bringing into focus the ways in which the novelists have depicted trauma in the present and how they have depicted the ability of people to overcome their trauma to reconstruct the lives they were suffering from.
Keywords: Trauma, Resilience, Contemporary English Novels, Trauma Theory, Psychological Literature, Literary Analysis, Identity, Healing, Memory, Contemporary Fiction.