The Journey To Healing:A Study On Frank In Home From The Perspective Of Trauma Theory

Toni Morrison is the first African-American woman to have won the Nobel Prize in literature. For her profound influence on contemporary American literature, she has been accepted as one of the most outstanding novelists. Home is her tenth novel which recounts a story about Frank, a veteran retiring from Korean War, who saves his dying sister and recovers from traumas. After publication, the novel has attracted great attention from the scholars and critics.This thesis employs the trauma theory to make a textual analysis of Frank Money’s psychological process. By examining his experiences of being traumatized and journey to healing, The thesis explores how family and social environment lead to Frank’s trauma and the possible ways for him to reconstruct a new self. Self endeavor, love and help displayed by sister, lover, community and the unfamiliar Samaritans help the protagonist, Frank, establish a new self. After the hard journey, Frank reconstructs a new self by facing the miserable past, finding a real sense of belongingness in the black community and establishing a new life with his sister. An Analysis of Frank in Home from trauma theory deepens our understanding of the novel and enriches the research achievements.