Advances in Humanities Research
Vol. 4, 21 February 2024
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Beyond Words: A Psychoanalytic Inquiry into Silence and Trauma in the Novel 'The Silent Patient' by Alex Michaelides
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Abstract
This research was conducted on a comprehensive psychoanalytic inquiry of Alex Michaelides' novel 'The Silent Patient,' focusing on unraveling the intricacies of silence and trauma within the narrative. The study meticulously analyzes the protagonist Alicia Berenson's deliberate choice of silence as a profound form of communication, transcending simplistic victimhood narratives. Employing a qualitative approach, the research delves into the psychological landscape of the characters, with a specific focus on the evolution of Alicia's character. The socio-cultural and historical contexts, particularly within a psychiatric institution, are examined to understand the external factors shaping the characters' experiences. Through thematic exploration, the study identifies recurring motifs such as suppressed personal narratives and the transformative potential of self-discovery. This research contributes to the discourse on mental health representation, emphasizing the enduring relevance of psychoanalytic theory in illuminating the complexities of the human psyche within literary exploration.
Keywords
Psychoanalysis, Silence, Trauma, Thematic exploration
References
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5. McKee, A. (2003). Textual analysis: A beginner's guide. Textual analysis. Grounded theory: Sage publications; 2014.
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8. Roy, S. (March 2020). “The Unabated 'Silence': Reversal of the Hysterical Subject in The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides” Literary Voice, , pp.72-79.
9. Safitri, D., Anggraeni, D., & Bowo, T. A. (2023). An Analysis Of Archetypes Of Alicia Brenson In Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient. Loquēla (Journal of Linguistics, Literature, and Education), 1(2), 137-153.
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11. Shoaib, A., Zeb, K., & Qamar, K. (2023). THE POWER OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: ANALYSIS OF ALICIA AS ALCESTIS IN ALEX MICHAELIDES’THE SILENT PATIENT. PalArch's Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 20(1), 857-880.
Data Availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
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- Volume Title
- ISBN (Print)
- ISBN (Online)
- Published Date
- 21 February 2024
- Series
- Advances in Humanities Research
- ISSN (Print)
- 2753-7080
- ISSN (Online)
- 2753-7099
- DOI
- 10.54254/2753-7080/4/2024030
- Copyright
- 21 February 2024
- Open Access
- This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited