ABSTRACT

Don DeLillo (1936-) is one of the leading characters among contemporary American novelists, named as one of the four major contemporary American novelists. Based on the traumatic theory of Cathy Caruth, the thesis explores the traumatized psyche of the main characters in Falling Man and the connection between the individual trauma and the collective memory, aiming to reveal the author’s ethnic concerns about the trauma healing and the spiritual isolation in contemporary American society.

Key words：Falling Man; trauma; memory

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-1

1.1 Don DeLillo and Falling Man-1

1.2 Literature Review-2

1.3 The Significance of This Thesis-4

Chapter Two THE REPRESENTATION OF TRAUMA-5

2.1 Direct Victim in Latency-5

2.2 Indirect Victim Suffering Quiet Trauma-7

2.3 A Child Disturbed by Mediated Trauma-8

Chapter Three THE WORK-THROUGH OF TRAUMA-10

3.1 An Errant Husband-10

3.2 A Wandering Wife-12

3.3 A Falling Man-13

Chapter Four TRAUM GOES FULL CIRCLE-16

4.1 Nothingness of Life-16

4.2 Skepticism About God-17

4.3 Trauma in Its Eternal Return-19

Chapter Five CONCLUSION-21

WORKS CITED-23