Trauma And Recovery In John Hawkes' Second Skin

Known for his outstanding originality in the artistic skills and creative thoughts,John Hawkes(1925-1998)is highly regarded as one of the greatest postmodern novelists in American literature.Published in 1964,Second Skin is regarded as one of Hawkes' most influential novels,which establishes his status in American literature after World War II.Nearly all of Hawkes'works seem to be associated with trauma,especially Second Skin.Second Skin is narrated by a retired naval lieutenant named Skipper who undergoes and recovers from various traumatic events.In Second Skin,the author depicts a scarred world,which is inundated with traumatic events such as war,death,betrayal,violence and rape.While most people cannot overcome post-traumatic stress disorder and commit suicide,few survivors bravely face up to trauma and try various means to step out of the shadow of trauma.Through decoding Second Skin from the perspective of trauma theory,this thesis analyses various desperate traumatic events that main characters have experienced,traumatic symptoms and recovery.Interpreting Second Skin from the perspective of trauma theory not only provides a better understanding of Hawkes' profound criticism about the darkness of modern society,but also offers practical suggestions to deal with human's mental crisis after suffering from trauma.This thesis consists of three parts,namely,the introduction,the body part which include three chapters and the conclusion.Part one briefly introduces the writer John Hawkes and his works including the novel Second Skin.In addition,this part also reviews previous critical views on Second Skin from home and abroad and presents trauma theory as theoretical framework.Also the outline of this thesis is presented.Chapter One analyses the traumatic events that the protagonist Skipper and his daughter have experienced.Skipper experiences parents' deaths in succession,finds his wife dead in a motel,fails to stop his daughter jumping from the lighthouse and is treated violently by his crew,while Cassandra is betrayed by her husband and raped by sailors.This chapter attempts to explore the enormous influence of family members' deaths,violence and betrayal on human beings.Chapter Two explores Skipper's numbness when facing trauma,fragmented consciousness when recalling traumatic memories and loss of self-identity and intense sense of loneliness after being traumatized.All the traumatic symptoms reveal victims' great agony in inner world.Combining with Herman's methods of healing trauma,the third chapter elaborates the reconciliation of the protagonist and his traumatic experiences and how he finally turns back to a normal life.It attempts to illustrate that recovery can be achieved through rebuilding a sense of security.narrating traumatic events and reconstructing relationships.In the end,the thesis concludes by maintaining that trauma may not be healed completely but the traumatized may work through it by employing recovery methods including rebuilding sense of security,narrating traumatic events and reconstructing relationships.After experiencing trauma,the traumatized should actively face their trauma,bravely retell their traumatic events and reconstruct their relationships with others and the community so as to recover from trauma.Hawkes intentionally has his characters undergo multiple traumatic events and probes into the underlying reasons,symptoms and recovery methods.It implies Hawkes' profound criticism and deep concern about the ultimate destiny of the humankind.