Burden of memory: unresolved childhood trauma, truth, and healing in home before dark and the paper palace

Abstract

This thesis explores the strong influence of unresolved childhood trauma on adulthood. Through an in-depth analysis of the novels Home Before Dark by Riley Sager and The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller, it examines how unresolved trauma shapes the protagonists’ identities, inner selves and life choices. Moreover, the paper highlights how other aspects like parental ignorance and generational silence can intensify the effect of trauma. Furthermore, it suggest the importance of confronting the past and breaking the cycle of silence for healing and recovery. This thesis aims to show the profound impact of unresolved childhood trauma on adulthood, the role of generational silence and parental denial on suppressed trauma and the significance of setting in reflecting the characters’ inner selves and emotional states in Home Before Dark and The Paper Palace. This thesis also uses Trauma theory, Affect theory and Psychoanalytical theory to explain these points.