A Trauma Study Of Paul Auster’’s Leviathan

Paul Auster is one of the most important writers in contemporary America. He usually writes about contingency, loneliness, sufferings, death, and quests for father or meaning, and presents his fictions with postmodern writing strategies like collage, metafiction narrative, Russian doll narrative, anti-detective narrative, etc. Consequently, scholars at home and abroad usually analyze Auster’s works from postmodern perspectives. However, as a Jewish descendent, Auster’s fictions are also full of tragic and traumatic flavors. Leviathan is such a work full of trauma and tragedy. Yet, few researches have been done from the perspective of trauma. Some researches abroad have studied Leviathan from postmodern perspective, but there is no domestic research on this novel from any perspective so far.This thesis, based on trauma theories mainly provided by Judith Herman and a close reading of the text, as well as extensive research on historical materials related to sociopolitical context from the 1960 s to the 1980s’ America, reveals the trauma hidden in the protagonist from childhood to adulthood and the consequential psychological and behavioral symptoms, which, together with the specific social and political context, finally leads to his transformation from a talented writer to a terrorist who applies violent means to arouse public awareness to American social ills. The dissociated family atmosphere caused by the traumatized parents, the mocking from childhood peers, the unfortunately fall, the failure in family and career, and the consequent posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) symptoms, as well as the sociopolitical context, especially the Reagan’s era as a deteriorating factor of the protagonist’s trauma, are to be analyzed. The thesis also explores the ways of redemption provided both by Herman and Auster. By juxtaposing two life stories of the protagonist and the narrator, Auster seems to believe that writing, a harmonious and stable family life, and a favorable and friendly natural and sociopolitical context are helpful in healing one’s trauma, whereas violence and injustice may lead to more violent protests.This thesis is by no means a complete interpretation of the novel, but it is a pioneer research on Leviathan at home from the perspective of trauma. It aims to help readers better understand the work, as well as to make a due contribution to Auster research in China.