Narrativization of Trauma in Maupin's The Night Listener

Abstract

This research explores the various causes resulting into cultural traumain Armistead Maupin’s The Night Listener. This novel presents the issues like homosexuality, child sexual abuse, physical and mental violence and its effect, HIV AIDS and so on as the causes of cultural trauma. By presenting the major character who is a homosexual and by narrating the experiences in the first person, this novel is able to highlight different psychological and physical effects resulting from cultural trauma. The protagonist narrates the first hand experiences of being homosexual in the twentieth century America. There are the characters who are suffering from traumatic effects due to biased ideology regarding certain sexuality and diseases. Pet is living a fearful life as he has lost the trust regarding human relationship, Jess is fighting against the social discriminations due to his homosexuality along with his HIV, Donna is unnaturally overprotective toward Pete, Gabriel’s grandfather commits suicide being unable to expose his sexuality, and Mathew Shepherd is killed by cowboys. There are many issues like breakups and betrayal that have traumatic effect upon characters. This novel, in, overall exposes the cultural trauma in contemporary society through different characters’ bitter experiences as they are ‘unique’ and unmatchable with the majority of people living in the society and their expectations