Navigating the Labyrinth: Trauma and Memory in Donna Tartts The Goldfinch and Nathan Hills The Nix
Contemporary American literature; Empathy; Identity; Memory; Narrative identity theory; Trauma
This paper delves into the intricate interplay between trauma and memory in 21st-century American fiction, with a specific focus on Donna Tartts The Goldfinch (2013) and Nathan Hills The Nix (2016). Through a comparative analysis of these novels, the study explores how characters navigate the labyrinthine complexities of trauma and its impact on memory, identity, and narrative construction. Grounded in the theoretical framework of Dan P McAdams Narrative Identity Theory, the study employs a rigorous interdisciplinary approach, synthesizing textual analysis with theoretical inquiry to illuminate the nuanced dynamics at play within the selected texts. The paper examines how trauma disrupts and reshapes memory, leading to fragmented recollections, haunting flashbacks, and the blurring of past and present. Additionally, it investigates how memory serves as a tool for both coping with and perpetuating trauma, shaping characters perceptions of themselves and the world around them. 2025 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
IUP Journal of English Studies;Volume;20;Issue;1;pp.118-128
Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library
https://doi.org/10.71329/IUPJES/2025.20.1.118-128 https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105007192011?origin=resultslist
Chand A., Christ (Deemed to be University), Central Campus, Karnataka, Bengaluru, India