A Study on Goodman Family’s Trauma in Next to Normal

The paper examines the trauma experienced by the Goodman family in Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt. The trauma originates from the sudden death of the Goodmans’ young son, Gabe. Specifically, Diana’s grief and loss manifest as intense trauma. Cathy Caruth’s five characteristics of trauma―shock, incomprehensibility, incubation period, repeated dreams or hallucinations, and awakening―are effectively illustrated through Diana’s experiences. Diana’s trauma leads to a mental illness, particularly melancholia, as she struggles to process her son’s death. It results in what Sigmund Freud termed the “abnormal work of mourning,” creating a psychological “crypt” in her consciousness that perpetually summons visions of her deceased son. The trauma also affects her family, causing feelings of loneliness and loss, and leading to fragmented familial relationships. Nonetheless, Diana’s decision to leave her home, the space of her trauma, and seek freedom demonstrates her awakening to the reality of her trauma and her commitment to overcoming it. (Sungkyul University)