Narrativization of Traumatic Experience in Sidney Sheldon's Tell Me Your Dreams

Abstract

Sidney Sheldon's Tell Me Your Dream deals with the traumatic experiences undergone by three female characters; Ashley Patterson, Toni Prescott and Alette Peters. All these three female characters are haunted by the fear of being chased by an unidentified murderous man. Ashley screams in work cubicle when several dots on her computer screen merge and looms at the image of a murderous man carrying a knife. Toni Prescott's heart pounds convulsively at the utterance of word doctor. Ashley cannot sleep comfortably at night on her bed because she knows that someone has intruded into her room to rummage her lingerie ward. Alette is prone to manic depressive phenomenon. She is torn between the temptation of artistic pursuit and the inclination to live a sequestered life. For the most part, Ashley’s own disordered psyche and Steven Patterson’s leering glance are accountable for the degradation of the psychic condition of the protagonist. As she reaches adulthood, her father interferes into her private matters. He could not tolerate to see Ashley befriending smart and intelligent boys. Worst of all he killed those boys who loved her. The pugnacious behavior of her father and the lingering traces of sexual abuse paralyze Ashley traumatically. She collapses into fear, nightmare and disordered psyche.