Trauma Narration and Life Dilemma: The Paradox of Trauma Healing in "Manchester by the Sea"

Abstract: Based on the trauma theory, this paper analyzes the trauma writing of the protagonist Lee Chandler and his nephew Patrick in the film “Manchester by the Sea”. By tracing the development of trauma theory from medicine to socio-cultural fields, this film reveals the traumatic symptoms of emotional numbness, flashback, and self exile caused by Lee’s family tragedy due to negligence. Lee’s refusal to pursue narrative healing contrasts sharply with his nephew Patrick’s self-healing tendency. The study points out that although domestic trauma research often emphasizes “tracing the roots to achieve recovery”, Lee’s case shows that some traumas are difficult to truly recover from due to the irreconcilable nature of self condemnation. Through the visualization of traumatic memories, the movie not only presents the healing potential of traumatic narratives, but also acknowledge the legitimacy of the “irreconcilable” dilemma in life, providing a new interpretation dimension for trauma writing. Keywords: Manchester by the Sea; traumatic narrative; life dilemma. Title: Trauma Narration and Life Dilemma: The Paradox of Trauma Healing in “Manchester by the Sea” Author: YI Wenjun International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online) Vol. 13, Issue 2, April 2025 - June 2025 Page No: 1-5 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 01-April-2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15119314 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/trauma-narration-and-life-dilemma-the-paradox-of-trauma-healing-in-manchester-by-the-sea