Browsing by Subject "Narrative Rhetoric"

My thesis explores the portrayal of sexual trauma in Sidney Sheldon's novels The Sands of Time (1988) and Tell Me Your Dreams (1998). The portrayal is mostly compassionate to the victims while also educating the readers. Both novels depict multiple sexually traumatic events that are predominantly focalized through the victims, and as a result, highlight the harms of sexual abuse and violence. Examining this theme, the central argument of my thesis is that both novels present an empathetic and pluralistic understanding of sexual trauma. I analyze the representation of sexual trauma in the novels per James Phelan’s definition of storytelling — it is a rhetoric event for the narrator to convey messages. In other words, I examine what and how Sheldon’s work communicates on sexual trauma. I combine Phelan’s notion of narrative messaging with a feminist approach to provide a critical framework for understanding the portrayal of sexual violence and analyze the novels as rape novels. I also supplement this approach with Balev’s pluralistic trauma theory to demonstrate how the narrator promotes nuance and a holistic understanding of sexual trauma, encompassing the experiences of the victims, abusers and the nature of sexual abuse as a whole. I focus on the characters and plot of the novels, primarily focusing on the different ways the victims and abusers are characterized. I also discuss the narrative progression of the plot and how it affects the novels as a rhetorical event. Through this interdisciplinary approach, my study seeks to deepen our understanding of how literature can contribute to discussions surrounding sexual violence and trauma, while also reflecting upon the ethical implications of narrative construction and representation.