Narrativizing Psychological and Gender Trauma in Philip Roth’s The Humbling

Abstract

The research is a study on Philip Roth’s The Humbling as a narrativization of characters’ psychological and gender trauma caused by the capitalist and patriarchal ideologies. It argues that the traumatic narrativization in the text does not only unburden the psychological pain, but also critiques on the cruelty of the capitalist and patriarchal ideologies. Simon Axler and Sybil Van Buren, the representative characters in the novel are repeatedly haunted by the unexpected traumatic events and involve in the violent actions. Buren gets traumatized by seeing her little daughter being raped unexpectedly by her stepfather. As a result, her traumatic psyche searches violent outlets. So, she kills her husband. Simon Axler, a wellknown stage actor unexpectedly loses his power of magical actions, memory and confidence to go on the stage. Due to his failure, he is psychologically traumatized. After that misfortune, he loses his acting company, his caring wife, his professional identity and becomes so much depressed. He is repeatedly driven by the suicidal urges and commits suicide. The stage actor’s suicide and Buren’s murder of her own husband replicate the possible violent consequences of the trauma caused by the capitalist and patriarchal system.