A Trauma Study Of A Gate At The Stairs As A Post-9/11 Novel

Lorrie Moore(1957-)is a contemporary American novelist,literary critic and literature professor.Since its publication in 2009 by Random House,Moore’s novel A Gate at the Stairs has received not only considerable critical acclaim but also a good many awards,and it was selected as one of the top ten best books of the 2009 New York Times.The novel is regarded as an important work concerning post-9/11 issues in the literary circle.It probes into the status quo and problems faced by Americans suffering from the 9/11 trauma,the doubts,fear and apathy that alienate people,and provides a new perspective for American lifestyle with its unique narrative,black humor and metaphoric themes.A Gate at the Stairs,set in the American Midwest after 9/1 1 terrorist attacks,takes the protagonist Tassie Keltjin,a twenty-year-old college student,as the narrator of the story to tell her own growth experience and personal encounter.The novel reveals the shadow that hovers over American social,domestic and individual relationships after 9/1 1 issues.This thesis attempts a close reading of A Gate at the Stairs,analyzing its characters’life experiences based on the social background and environmental metaphors,interpreting the traumas left by racial conflicts,religious disagreements and war disasters American society,families,and individuals are confronted with,as well as exploring the younger generation’s growth in dilemmas of kinship,friendship and romantic relationship.All this is presented to probe into the present situation of the United States after 9/1 1 events.In structure,this thesis consists of three main parts:Introduction,Main Body and Conclusion.The Introduction offers a brief presentation of Lorrie Moore’s life,literary career and her novel A Gate at the Stairs,as well as the purpose and significance of this study.The Main Body is divided into four chapters.Chapter One reviews previous studies on A Gate at the Stairs and comments on Lorrie Moore,providing trauma studies as its theoretical basis.Chapter Two analyzes the status quo of American society suffering from the 9/11 trauma,revealing the profound influence of 9/11 attacks on the rural and urban America through the description of environmental metaphors and social atmosphere.Chapter Three focuses on the 9/11 trauma brought to American families,disclosing the identity dilemma of "the Other" that disrupts household relationship and exploring the traumatic influence of family internal relationship.Chapter Four deals with individual trauma,revealing the intrusion of racial,religious and political issues into personal relationship as well as how the younger generation survive and grow to maturity against the 9/11 issues and individual trauma.The Conclusion highlights the social significance and literary value of the novel as a post-9/11 novel,and attempts to provide a better understanding of the causes and consequences of 9/11 issues and offer possible approach to recovery from traumatic experiences.