Effects of Trauma on Language: A Psycholinguistic Analysis of ―Terrorist‖ by John Updike

Abstract

The current research is a psycholinguistic analysis conducted on Updike‘s novel, ―Terrorist” (2006). This study has explored the element of trauma, its depiction and its effects on the language of its victim Ahmad, the protagonist of the selected novel. For this purpose, the researcher has applied Cathy Caruth‘s trauma theory as given in her book ―Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, Narrative, and History” (1996) as a theoretical framework for this study. Unspeakability, latency and repetition are the basic tropes of Caruthian stance of trauma. The study has followed the qualitative research paradigm by employing Catherine Belsey‘s (2005) research method of ―textual analysis‖ for the interpretation and analysis of the text with the help of extra textual knowledge. The researcher has used the close reading technique to collect textual excerpts spoken by Ahmad during his different psychological states referred as pre-trauma phase, trauma phase and post-trauma phase in order to measure the effects of trauma on Ahmad‘s linguistic pattern. The findings of this research attest that Updike‘s ―Terrorist‖ is a trauma novel and that trauma leaves chaotic effects on the linguistic standard of its victim, Ahmad. The researcher has found that Updike has used figurative language and trauma lexis to deal with trauma. This research work is significant as an interdisciplinary venture has linked fields of literature, linguistics and psychology