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On September 11, 2001, the United States of America and her people were confronted with one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in recent history, which caused, among others, extensive infrastructural damage and heavy loss of life in its wake. The colossal scale of the destruction that characterised this national tragedy, went on to transform many Americans, particularly those directly affected by the attacks, into a people suddenly vulnerable to an alarming level of fear and insecurity. That being said, the tragedy of 9/11 has been framed as a straggling, serious threat with a persistent echo of the terror and vulnerability it had generated. Indeed, the trauma of 9/11 has altered the average American’s perceptions of self and of others, thus intensifying the collective vulnerability of the American public towards the event’s sociopsychological ramifications. This is particularly evident in those who have survived the carnage of 9/11 but are mentally and psychologically scarred for life as a result of their traumatic experiences, wherein a sense of permanent vulnerability is cultivated. Zepinic (2012) argues that by remembering such traumatic events as 9/11, victims are more likely to recall personal bad experiences that have no correlation whatsoever with the traumatic event in question. As a result, said victims are subsequently susceptible to intrusions of negative autobiographical memories that may activate or intensify their negative cognitive self-schemes that will ultimately increase their vulnerability as they are doubly victimized by 9/11 and their supressed personal trauma. This article, therefore, aims to explore depictions of American vulnerability following the September 11 terrorist attacks in Lynne Sharon Schwartz’s post-9/11 novel, The Writing on the Wall (2005). By applying a psychological approach to the text, we show how the trauma of 9/11 has not only instilled fear in the story’s protagonist, Claudia, but also resurrected her personal demons, reducing her to a victim of post-9/11 American vulnerability.
CEFR in Malaysia : Issues and Challenges Pp 874-882 of ICOSH Proceeding
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Program Homestay Pemangkin Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Luar Bandar. Kajian Kes : Negeri-Negeri Utara Semenanjung Malaysia