A Study Of The Trauma Narrative In The Book Thief

The Book Thief is a famous novel written by Australian writer Markus Zusak. It has been translated into over thirty languages and ranked first on the New York Times bestseller list for 230 weeks. Markus Zusak has also become a prolific writer with the most awards and works in Australian literary field. The Book Thief contains cruel human violence and great dignity of humanity. It is a unique story about how words feed the human soul and a story which makes Death shocked during World War Ⅱ. Special narrative techniques are used in the novel:flashbacks, flash-forwards, repetition, and detailed psychological description, which add up to its unique and charming literary value. After its publication in 2005, The Book Thief has been read by a wide range of readers, especially teenage readers. Due to the fact that it was published not long ago, up to now the relevant articles are almost readers’ reviews on the book. Theses and studies focusing on Markus Zusak or The Book Thief are quite few. This thesis researches on the trauma narrative in The Book Thief and explores the characters’ physical and psychological trauma through the use of trauma theory. It analyzes the essence, contents and significance of the trauma narrative in the novel. The huge destruction of the war has been shown through the miserable life and trauma of the German civilians during World War Ⅱ. The civilians are the biggest victims of the war, and their trauma won’t stop with the end of the war. The damages brought by the war are not only loss of lives and properties, but also a cruel test on humanity and people’s values. In the gloomy war years, love and words have become the most heart-warming power. This thesis explores the thematic meaning of the novel through analyzing the trauma endured by the ordinary German people and the Jews during the period of World War Ⅱ, and further reveals the deep imprints brought by the war from the perspective of the trauma narrative. Eventually it warns people to learn from the history and to advocate world peace.This thesis is comprised of five chapters:the introduction, three body chapters and the conclusion. The introduction puts an emphasis on the life and works of Markus Zusak, the main contents of The Book Thief, the relevant researches on the novel at home and abroad, as well as a brief introduction to trauma theory and the research task of this thesis. Chapter Two to Chapter Four constitute the body part of the thesis. Chapter Two expounds the essence of the trauma narrative in The Book Thief the voice of the marginal group is part of the real history. The third chapter discusses the contents of the trauma narrative in the novel, which include the characters’ traumatic experiences during the war time and ways to alleviate trauma. In analyzing the traumatic experiences of the characters, the focus is centered on the war and death; through the eyes of Death, the disasters and traumas brought by the war are shown. In the horrible atmosphere of World War Ⅱ and Holocaust, love and words, the heartwarming powers which radiate brilliant human dignity, become the effective means to mitigate trauma. Chapter Four explores the significance of the trauma narrative in the novel:to regain the marginal group’s voice, face the real history, console the traumatized and avoid the recurrence of the painful history. The last chapter is the conclusion. This part summarizes the previous contents and further makes clear of the research significance. Interpreting The Book Thief from the angle of trauma narrative can offer a new perspective to the study of the novel; at the same time, it intends to initiate readers’ further reflection on war and peace.