Trauma Writing In Of Human Bondage

William Somerset Maugham is one of the indispensable British writers of the 20 th century.His masterpiece,Of Human Bondage,is also considered by the academic community as his autobiographical novel.This thesis focuses on Judith Herman’s and Cathy Caruth’s trauma theory,and takes Of Human Bondage as a research text to explore the therapeutic significance of Maugham’s trauma writing presented in the novel and clarify the relationship between traumatic experience and literary writing.This thesis consists of an introduction,four chapters and a conclusion.The introduction gives a brief overview of Maugham’s life experience and the research object Of Human Bondage,then summarizes the research status at home and abroad,and finally briefly discusses the framework and significance of this thesis.The main part of the thesis consists of four chapters.The first chapter is the theoretical foundation,introducing the origin and development of trauma theory,and explaining the connection between trauma and literature and the possibility of trauma writing.Chapter two analyzes the causes of Maugham’s trauma writing through external and internal in combination with Maugham’s life background.Chapter three and four are the key points of this thesis,tapping into the therapeutic implications of traumatic experiences and trauma writing.Chapter three summarizes Maugham’s traumatic experiences represented in Of Human Bondage according to Caruth’s definition of traumatic events,such as death of parents,days of dependence,the destruction of faith,the bullied campus life,the physical defects,and the torture of lovers.The fourth chapter analyzes Maugham’s reconciliation and recovery with trauma more specifically according to Herman’s theory of trauma recovery.By writing Of Human Bondage,Maugham summarizes his first half of life,reconciles with himself,and finds his way to go forward later.The perfect ending,he wrote for Philip,also shows that Maugham is full of confidence in life at the moment when this work is about to be completed.He can also face his own physical defects,clarify the meaning of life,and regain his yearning for love.The conclusion elaborates on the healing of Maugham’s shared traumatic experience with the Philip.That is,Maugham achieves trauma recovery through writing and when we take Philip as other,his healing symbolizes the healing of readers.This thesis aims to provide an in-depth explanation of trauma theory and literary writing.On the one hand,Maugham is the spokesman of the whole era,and in his writing,he not only dissects all the misfortunes he experienced,but also observes the suffering of the whole era at that time.On the other hand,in contemporary society,psychological or physiological pressure of varying degrees,and people need a method of venting.Reading and writing are both ways of bringing their own curative effect,and Of Human Bondage gives us a writing template.