This Must Be the Place

Studying the effects of physical or emotional trauma on the human psyche is a field in clinical psychology that has expanded significantly throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In literary theory, trauma theory is the study of how trauma is portrayed in literary works. Literary trauma theory uses the psychology of trauma as an interpretative tool for deeper understanding of characters, situations, and socio-cultural elements portrayed in fiction and poetry.

Trauma is generally defined as the emotional response to an overwhelming experience that the subject feels is “seriously harmful or life-threatening” (“Trauma.” Psychology Today). The resulting emotions can be immediate and can also have long-lasting effects. Trauma can be compounded if the initial traumatic event is repeated or if the person experiences multiple traumas without processing and healing from the initial event. Some examples of traumatic events include firsthand experience of war, being the survivor of or witnessing a violent crime, sudden loss of a loved one, a natural disaster, or a serious car accident. However, any event can trigger a trauma depending on a person’s reaction to an event. Typically, a person suffering from trauma has difficulty with concentration and memory and can experience flashbacks triggered by unexpected stimuli that interfere with everyday activities. The primary treatment of trauma is cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a therapist works with the trauma survivor to identify the connections between thoughts, emotions, and behavior to help them cope with triggers and move beyond the traumatic experience.

Trauma theory in literary studies originates with Freudian theories and gained popularity in the 1990s. The theory focuses on the effect of trauma on language, identity, and memory. One major argument is that trauma causes a psychological split. A common story related to the experience of trauma is the inability of the survivor to describe the traumatic event or its emotional impact. Images and feelings may recur in the survivor’s mind, but their language and memory fail to integrate the experience into a coherent narrative. Memory works differently in response to a trauma than it does in response to a typical experience. The mind tries to protect itself by blocking out details of traumatic events or suppressing the event entirely, but the emotional damage remains. The time shifts in This Must Be the Place reflect the fractured nature of trauma.

Although much trauma theory argues that traumatic experiences defy language, many literary works build a narrative around traumatic events and their aftermath. Narrative and language are the primary means by which trauma survivors start to contextualize their experiences and find a way to integrate their experience into their lives. The Dissociating Nature of Trauma is a major theme in This Must Be the Place, and O’Farrell uses time jumps, point-of-view shifts, and a motif of mirrors and reflections to evoke the firsthand experience of trauma. The timeline and point of view come together at the end of the novel when Daniel has acknowledged his trauma and taken steps toward healing. Daniel’s struggle is highlighted throughout the book, but the novel’s resolution shows him and Claudette working together to make new lives, rather than remaining stuck in the traumas of the past.