Cathy Caruth trauma theories in Ottessa Moshfegh's Selected Works

Odessa Moshfegh's Eileen is a psychological novel set in ۱۹۶۰s New England, focused on a disturbed young woman working at a juvenile correctional facility. Eileen lives with her alcoholic, paranoid father and feels trapped in a decaying town she calls "X-ville." She suffers from deep self-loathing, body image issues, and emotional isolation, showing signs of psychological trauma. Her daily life is bleak, filled with resentment, fantasies of escape, and obsession with a guard named Randy. She wears her dead mother's clothes, abuses laxatives, and steals from shops—reflecting her emotional instability. Rebecca, a new, confident counselor at the prison, briefly brings hope and friendship into Eileen's life. Their connection around Christmas offers Eileen a rare sense of excitement and possibility. The novel explores dark themes like abuse, addiction, obsession, classism, and sexism. Eileen's psyche is analyzed through Cathy Caruth's trauma theory to reveal patterns of neglect and internal conflict. Ultimately, the story presents a haunting portrait of a young woman desperate to flee her oppressive reality.

کلیدواژه ها:

Invalidation ، Negation ، Ignorance ، Conflict ، Isolation ، Paradox ، Intrusive Images