Traumatic Loss, Grief Theory, and the Use of Scriptotherapy as a Medium for Emotional Healing in Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him (2022)
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Date
2024-09
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Universidad de Huelva
Abstract
This dissertation has meticulously explored the extent to which loss, mourning, and the therapeutic potential of writing in processing trauma and grief are present in Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of him (2022). More specifically, the study has examined how the female protagonist in the narrative, Kenna Rowan, uses letter-writing as a coping mechanism to confront her pain and guilt following her beloved partner’s tragic death. It draws upon two major theoretical frameworks, of which are Kübler-Ross and Kessler’s five stages of grief theory, as put forward in their book, On grief and grieving: Finding the meaning of grief through the five stages of loss (2005), as well as Henke’s concept of scriptotherapy, as defined and presented in her work, Shattered subjects: Trauma and testimony in women’s life-writing (1998). By employing a multidisciplinary approach that combines literary analysis with psychological theories of trauma and grief, the research has shed light on two significant findings. First, it has demonstrated how Kenna’s retrospective letters to her deceased partner essentially reflect her progression through the five stages of grief—from initial denial and anger through bargaining and depression to eventual acceptance—ultimately reaching mental healing and psychological recovery. Second, it has highlighted the virtuous power of scriptotherapy, revealing how the main character’s letter-writing forged her path toward emotional processing and psychological rehabilitation. It has also denoted that such a practice proved highly effective for emotional catharsis, allowing for the resolution of the plot’s central conflicts, and enabling the protagonist to openly confront her past, reconstruct her fractured identity, and eventually achieve self-forgiveness and communal reconciliation. This study hence contributes to the growing body of research on scriptotherapy in contemporary American literature in general, primarily emphasizing the significant power of writing as a therapeutic medium for overcoming traumatic experiences, achieving emotional healing, and restoring personal wholeness.
Description
74p. ; 30cm(+CD-Rom)
Keywords
grief, healing, letter-writing, scriptotherapy, trauma survival