FRAGMENTED MEMORY AND NARRATIVE FORM IN CONTEMPORARY WAR NOVELS: A TRAUMA-THEORETICAL READING OF ANATOMY OF A SOLDIER

Abstract

This study examines the representation of psychological trauma in Harry Parker’s Anatomy of a Soldier (2016), focusing on its use of fragmented memory and innovative narrative techniques. The research applies Sigmund Freud’s early trauma theory and Cathy Caruth’s framework of trauma to argue that the novel’s disjointed chronology, episodic storytelling, and object narration reflect the protagonist’s fractured psychological state. In this context, memory serves as both a vessel for trauma and a means of eventual healing, illustrating the dual nature of recollection in the trauma recovery process. The study employs a qualitative textual analysis to explore how Parker’s narrative structure mirrors the cognitive and emotional impact of war trauma, particularly the dissociation and fragmented self that characterize traumatic experiences. The analysis reveals how Parker’s narrative strategies such as non-linear storytelling and the use of objects as narrators engage with the psychological, emotional, and moral dimensions of trauma. This work contributes to literary trauma theory by demonstrating the intricate relationship between narrative form and the lived experience of psychological injury, highlighting the role of literary techniques in representing complex traumatic realities.