Analyzing repression and expression of trauma in saleem haddad’s guapa and rabih alameddine’s I, the divine

Abstract

Trauma theory is a modern focus of many researchers. It studies the narration of trauma, the intention behind this narration, and the ways trauma is narrated. As a result, many contemporary literary endeavors deal with trauma as a subject of their narration. Saleem Haddad and Rabih Alameddine in their novels Guapa and I, the Divine: A Novel in First Chapters, respectively, portray two protagonists that this thesis argues are traumatized and are in the process of healing from their trauma as they narrate them. The thesis studies their traumatic events, the causes and effects of repressing their trauma, their narration of their traumas, and whether or not they succeed and expressing their respective traumas in order to release them and heal. The thesis argues that Haddad and Alameddine succeed to display the traumatic mind and the experienced of repression and expression at different degrees. While Rasa, Guapa’s protagonist, does succeed at healing from his trauma, heading toward a brighter future, Sarah, I, the Divine’s protagonist, fails and is stuck in a series of repetition.