@article {451, title = {Representation of Trauma as a Political Apparatus in Julian Barnes{\textquoteright}s the Noise of Time}, journal = {The IUP Journal of English Studies}, volume = {12}, year = {2017}, month = {12/2017}, pages = {7-24}, type = {Research}, chapter = {7}, abstract = {

This essay explores the function of trauma as a political apparatus in Julian Barnes{\textquoteright}s latest novel The Noise of Time (2016). Focusing on the artistic life of worldly, well-known Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, Barnes{\textquoteright}s narrative shows how trauma, as a dominant political apparatus, is systematically implemented by Stalin{\textquoteright}s State of Terror or Power and how it dramatically impacts the psychological state of an artist. By presenting three stages of the central character{\textquoteright}s traumatic experiences, the omniscient narrator represents trauma{\textquoteright}s continuous impact on Shostakovich{\textquoteright}s mind through his own retrospective perspective. The narrative focuses on Shostakovich{\textquoteright}s constant sense of fear and intense panic at three decisive points of life when he finds himself in humiliating conversations with Power. The narrative presents the manner in which Shostakovich{\textquoteright}s mind is possessed by the horrors, fears, and anxieties of both his traumatic experiences and post-traumatic recollections.

}, keywords = {Julian Barnes, Power, Psychological Trauma, The Noise of Time, Trauma as a Political Apparatus, Traumatic Experiences and Memory}, url = {https://www.iupindia.in/1712/English\%20Studies/Representation_of_Trauma.html}, author = {Nayebpour, Karam} }