A PSYCHOANALYTICAL STUDY ON THE POST TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES OF CHILDREN IN NICCOLO AMMANITI’S I’M NOT SCARED

Abstract

Literature makes multiple attempts to shape the lives of human beings. A literary work can be approached through multiple perspectives. Sociological and moralistic approaches take dominant roles in the study of any work of literature. The contemporary writers give more space to the inner development of the characters. In the modern era, psychoanalytical studies of characters have gained momentum in literary studies. The focus on childhood and family trauma facilitates a reorientation towards specific rather than overly tropological and abstract dimensions of trauma. This paper attempts to explore the novel I’m Not Scared by Niccolò Ammaniti in the light of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Through a detailed analysis of the character of the protagonist, this paper attempts to highlight the childhood trauma experienced by the children, which has a long-term impact almost throughout the lives of the children. It may include dangerous and life-threatening situations which lead the children into traumatic experiences.