Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Andrea Jeftanovic's Theatre of War: A Literary Psychology Study

Arifah Pertiwi br Kembaren, Devi Pratiwy


Abstract


This study examines the portrayal of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the character of Tamara in Andrea Jeftanovic's novel Theatre of War. Using a literary psychology perspective, this qualitative descriptive research aims to identify the trigger factors of Tamara's PTSD and analyze its impact on her social relationships. The primary data consists of the novel's narrative and dialogue, analyzed through close textual reading with reference to the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD. The analysis reveals three major categories of triggering factors. First, psychological factors include lack of emotional support from family, traumatic parental conflicts, and maternal amnesia that causes identity loss. Second, social factors encompass economic inequality, physical and verbal violence, cultural differences, and sexual harassment. Third, genetic factors involve the inheritance of war trauma from her father, manifesting through intergenerational trauma and behavioral mimicry. The impact of PTSD on Tamara's social relationships is evident in her difficulty building trust, feelings of alienation from family and peers, dissociative behavior, and social withdrawal. Her decision to run away to find her father reflects both a traumatic response and deep loneliness. This study concludes that PTSD in children is a complex condition influenced by the interaction of psychological, social, and genetic factors, and that literature serves as a powerful medium for understanding the multidimensional nature of trauma and its effects on social relationships.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30743/jol.v8i2.14421

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