WHETHER TRAUMA CAN BE TRULY OVERCOME AND THE

RELATIONSHIP BETRAYAL TURNS A PERSON SILENT IN THE

NOVEL THE SILENT PATIENT
A Term Paper submi ed for the par al fulfillment for the
degree of Master of Arts in English
By
Kri Halder
Class: M.A. (4th Semester)
Examina on Roll No: 23110526
Registra on No: DHWU232014000127

Under the supervision of - Dr. Malyashree Mandal

(Assistant professor)
Department of English

2025
Acknowledgement:
First and foremost I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to my research

supervision Dr. Malyashree Mandal, for giving me an opportunity to do research and

providing invaluable guidance throughout this research.

Her activity sincerity and motivation have deeply inspired me. She has taught me the

methodology to carry out the research and to present the research work as clearly as

possible. It was a great privilege and honour to work and study under her guidance. I am

extremely grateful for the information and materials she has offered me.
 Table of content

Abstract…………………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………....1
Introduc on………................................................................................................................2
How the silence project …………………………………………………………………………………………….....2
Rela onship betrayal trauma …………………………………………………………………………..…………...3
Pain ngs of Alicia that comes out through her trauma………………………………………….……...5
Psychoanaly c perspec ve….............................................................................................8
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….…..…13
Bibliography…………………………….………………………………………………………….……………….,…….14
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Abstract:

The term 'silent' means not showing emotions and reaction often appearing stoic or

unresponsive. The novel reveals the thriller of the titular character Alicia Berenson, a silent

patient from the impact of trauma and emotional distress and Theo Faber who becomes

increasingly obsessed with Alicia's case. The Novel begins with the shocking murder of

Alica's husband, Gabriel Berenson and she is arrested and institutionalized in a secure

psychiatric facility. Alicia refuses to speak. Theo Faber, criminal psychotherapist who

becomes fascinated by Alica's case.

Alicia's husband, Gabriel and Theo's wife, Kathy are having an affair and this is a

key factor of the event leading up to Gabriel's murder and her silence. The central theme

of the novel, relationship betrayal turns a person silent and at the same time another person

becomes a murderer from their individual trauma from the psychological effect of abuse.

The novel is a gripping psychological thriller that coined elements of mystery, suspense

and psychological exploration. The story of a painter becoming a silent patient is really

capable of giving mental peace for psychological effect. Could Alicia really not recover

from the trauma? How are Alicia's and Theo's pre destiny intertwined by their tragic

consequences of their actions?

Keywords: Silence, trauma, deception, psychological thriller, relationship betrayal,

manipulation, anxiety.
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1. Introduction:

The novel The Silent Patient (2019) by Alex Michaelides is an excellent, slow

burning psychological thriller, the detective novel, like peeling an onion, each layer

revealing more complexity that tells us the story of Alicia Berenson who killed her husband

when she was 33 years old, six years earlier. The crime is extremely mysterious and

suspension of the novel. Alicia by profession is a rising star painter and her husband is a

well known fashion photographer. After the murder, Alicia was admitted at the Grove, a

psychiatric ward and earning herself the nickname “the silent patient” (Alicia Berenson).

The novel takes places in the presence day narrated by Theo Faber a forensic psychoanalyst

that excerpts from Alicia’s old diary that paints different pictures of Alicia’s paranoia in

the days leading up to her husband’s death. It is his curiosity or self defense for which he

took a job in this clinic is unclear at the very first of the novel. The novel centers on two

characters, the psychotherapist, Theo Faber and his obsessed patient, Alicia Berenson. Alex

Michaelides structures the novel from the alternative perspective between Theo Faber’s

perspective and Alicia Berenson’s diary entries, creating a dual narrative that makes

tension and suspense. The past and present have created the depth of the story, slowly

peeling back the layers of her silence and the narrator’s motive.

2. How the silence projected:

Silence is the absence of sound, not speaking, speechless, mute, free from not

making sound. Alicia Berenson’s silence after shooting her husband is a central element.

Above from these examples here we see Alicia Berenson’s silence is occurred not from her

husband’s death rather silence is deeply rooted from her childhood trauma where she is
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betrayed from her parents love and second is her husband’s betray. Alicia Berenson’s

silence after shooting her husband is a central element. The silence becomes a powerful

tool exploring themes of communication. Silence can be a form of self expression and

protection. Her acting as a blank state endores other, specially psychotherapist, Theo Faber

to project their feelings and assumptions about her and leading up to the murder. Alicia’s

silence is deeply rooted to her past trauma, unexpected experience of betrayal by her father

and husband.

"I remained silent. How could I talk? Gabriel had sentenced me to death. The dead don't

talk."(Machaelides, 325)

Alicia’s silence motifs to reflect on the patriarchal society how women’s silence is

confirmed by male dominance and the societal pressure.

3. Relationship Betrayal Trauma:

Trauma is a emotional and psychological response to a grievous event. It

comes from anxiety, anger, fear, panic, obsession, shock, disbelief, depression etc. The

term 'betrayal trauma' was originally introduced by psychologist Jennifer Freyd in 1991.

Betrayal trauma is a psychological trauma and painful events when someone's trust damage

by a significant person.

"The person you love most in the world has condemned you to die , through their own

cowardice, That's quite a betrayal"(Machaelides,178)

Betrayal trauma comes when anyone close to a person plays with trust, particularly when

they depend on that individual for support. Betrayal trauma comes from trouble

recognizing, anxiety, depression and the impact on thoughts of suicide, difficulty trusting
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others, attachment issues. Betray hurts so much became it challenges on belief in others.

Betrayal undermines the primary human need for trust and security in relationship. Betray

can feel loss or the loss of future together. It can feel like anger or trigger fear of future

harm. These are happened to Alicia Berenson and Theo who are betrayed from their close

persons.

3.1 Betray with Alicia Berenson:

Alicia’s childhood trauma, repressed emotions, all comes to the surface

when her husband acts like his father to hurt her. In her childhood she lost her mother

in a car accident. Her father is the only support of her life. But coincidentally she

has lost his support as she wishes by hearing

“Why did not Alicia die instead?” (Michaelides,271)

Her husband’s disloyalty sets off a relationship with her father, causing her to feel

betrayal and initiate violent actions. Once she sketches Jesus as look like Her

husband Gabriel. It is because he has given her life path for satisfaction.

“He saved me likes Jesus.” (Michaelides,70)

As a Godlike figure to Alicia it’s is impossible to control her emotions by exposing

her husband affair with Theo Faber’s wife, Kathy and triggering a trauma that invites

her to shoot and she becomes mute as.

“The dead don’t talk.” (Michaelides,325)

If a person loves someone how he condemns his lover to die as Gabriel does with

his wife when Theo forces Gabriel to choose between his life and Alicia

“I don’t want to die.” he said. (Michaelides,324)

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All these events have presented her with the final stage of betray from which her

path back to life has been closed. If someone close to you hits you like an arrow,

your will to live ends, which is why happened to Alicia. She wanted a perfect family,

but instead she got only a touch of betray that made her feel like she was dying even

while she was alive.

From the other side Theo Faber as a psychotherapist has betrayed with her silent

patient Alicia. Actually his goals to manipulate and control, leading to her eventual

betray. Initially claiming to help her as a compassionate therapist but his actions

inducing her coma and visiting her daily to hold her hand. He is more concerned

about his desire than Alicia’s well being. His actions mirrors his own father rude

behavior. His foremost motifs to save him part from this incident.

3.2 Betray with Theo Faber:

Another interesting character Theo Faber who has betrayed from

his father and particularly happend to him that’s why he is tried to attempt suicide several

times. How far he was, he internalised his father deeply in his unconscious. As a child to

much tough to accept angry behavior from his father. If child’ childhood has not spend well

and he is deprived of his parents love, although he may develop faith in love in the future,

the fear of losing something due to betray remains repressed emotions throughout his life.

"But I suspect it originated in my relationship with my father, around whom I was never

safe."(Machaelides,17)

Theo Faber’ s wife Kathy, having passionate affair with Gabriel behind her husband’s

back. This infidelity is a very serious plot twist that ultimately leads up to shooting. The
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affair is a central element of the novel’s twist. The affair is a long standing secret that

reveals to light. This affair is a key factor in the demonstrating of Theo’s life and his

obsession with Alicia. Theo does not want to lost Kathy because of his frustration issue

injected his childhood trauma.

"She was the love of my life -she was my life - and I wasn't ready to give her up. Not yet

even though she had betrayed me , I still loved her."(Machaelides,105)

Theo is trapped with the impact of betrayal trauma as somehow he gains fear of losing

togetherness. He wishes to stay with his wife despite knowing she has an affair. After

returning from The Grove he has been started work as a spy. After knowing his wife’s

sexual intimacy with another guy he doesn’t feel anger on Kathy rather also spy on

Berenson’s house.

4. Paintings of Alicia Berenson that comes out through her trauma:

Alicia Berenson is a rising star painter who has a small gallery, Soho Gallery that

managed by Jean Felix Martin during the trial and after that. Theo, as a psychotherapist ,

wants to help Alicia and from his curiosity he comes to know about her gallery. After seeing

her gallery he has understood how Alicia has been traumatized from her childhood that

reflects on her paintings. Paintings is an art to show the feeling of emotions. Alicia tools

this advantage to show her emotions.

The first painting was her mother car accident portrait where she had been also in

the car crash. In this painting only her mother dead blood body was visible without her

presence which she believed a deliberate act of murder rather than suicide.
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"A women's body ......to the heavens"(Machaelides,159)

The second painting was Gabriel as Jesus crucified hanging from the cross to express her

possessive love for him and see did not accepting him as a human being that clear to her

art. But the distorted thing was rifle on Gabriel ‘s torso that she might be expressing her

displeasure and an intention to control on punish her.

"It was Gabriel -but Gabriel portrayed as Jesus crucified hanging from the cross...A

rifle".(Machaelides,160)

The third painting was Alicia’s aunt, Lydia Rose. She was nude, reclining on a tiny bed

looks like an ‘evil’ and ‘disgusting’ by herself. This painting deeply flows destruction

relationship between two women. Painting is a form of communication that convey her

anger toward her aunt. The painting of Lydia is expressing her anxiety related to her family

and her past trauma.

"Lydia was nude, reclining on a tiny bed. The bed was buckling under her

weight..........waves of grey custard."(Machaelides,160)

This is fully different ALCESTIS. It is a self portrait of Alicia standing in her studio,

naked, holding a paint brush dripping red paint although the canvas is blank, a mystery,

kind of religious sense. The most strangeful thing behind the background of the picture

where some maggots creeping and around the collection of apples and peas. ALCESTIS is

a Greek tragedy by Euripides. The hero, Admetus is condemned to death by Fates but

Apollo’s often help Admetus to escape from death of someone else’s to die for him. No

one wants to die for him except his wife Alcestis. But she has survived and back to the lad

of the living from Hades. But she remains silent, unwilling to speak. The story of Alcestis
 HALDER|8

and the story of Alicia are similar as she feels betray. This picture is the only her statement

after shooting her husband. Alicia’s body still alive but disconnect to this cheerful world.

She has chosen to expose herself through her art and draw parallels story between her and

Alcestis. Alcestis has been sacrificed her life and Alicia do the same. Her silence has

reflected unbearable pain, sacrifices and silence .

“Choosing a lover is a lot like choosing a therapist.” (Michaelides,108)

Here the lover becomes the hunter for his beloved. Is someone loves his beloved then how

he condemn to die. The mental tortures of her husband inflicted into her belief:

“Trust, once lost, is hard to recover.” (Michaelides,178)

Another complicated painting was painted when Theo tried to talk with Alicia.

“Alicia had planted a red brick building, a hospital – unmistakable The Grove. It was on

fire burning to the ground. Two figures were discernible on the fire escape. A man and

woman have been escaping the fire. The woman was unmistakably Alicia., her red hair the

same colour as the flames. I recognized the man as myself. I was carrying Alicia in my

arms, holding her aloft while the fire locked at my ankles. I couldn’t tell if I were depicted

in the act of recusing Alicia or about to throw her in the flames.” (Michaelides,194)

The complexity in the painting is the role of Theo Faber. Alicia is concerned of Theo’s

coming to her and wanted to discuss about her past incident. The concerning because his

curiosity or ends the chapter is lighted upon his face. At the beginning Alicia is identified

Theo who tell her about her husband’s affair. Her childhood trauma and her husband’s

affair decided her destiny as the silent patient. Theo is really wanted to recover her or to

throw in to the dark future that is shown in the picture.

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5. Psychoanalytic perspective:

Psychoanalysis in the theory of the mind, feelings and behaviors that

exploring the unconscious mind to understand. It is based on the theory that our present is

formed by our past. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), an Austrian Neurologist, who founded

the theory of psychoanalysis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Psychoanalysis brings

repressed emotions at the unconscious level and experiences to conscious awareness.

Freud had introduced to the idea that paralysis could be neurotic by jean martin Charcot.

(Slade,4)

5.1 Hysteria and the method of “the talking cure”:

Hysteria is psychological disorder that affects a person’s life and reveals in a

difference physical symtoms that do not have any obvious psychololgical reasons. Before

the development of psychoanalytic processes, doctors treated hysteria with hypnotism.

Freud developed the process of psychoanalytic in the earlier 20th centuries. In the 1880s,

Freud worked with Josef Brewer (1842-1925), a Viennese Clinician, he began to develop

the treatment with him, called as “Cathartic method” known as ‘the talking cure’. The

motive of the treatment was to purify the mind of feelings, thoughts that bound the patient

for her suffering. The term became famous as ‘the talking cure’ because talking can relief

the inner conflicts and cure hysteria to help the patient to see her conflicts.(Slade,5)

The silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, is a perfect psychological thriller the two plots

involved with each other. One plot, narrating by Theo Faber from his point of view, a

forensic psychotherapist, whose curiosity involved to find out the reason behind Alicia

Berenson’s silence after her husband's murder. Another part of the plot is Theo Faber’s

childhood was like more violent and triggering that had a match with his present life. The
 HALDER|10

second plot reveals through Alicia’s diary. Theo is like alter male persona of Alicia

Berenson. Both Alicia and Theo had a Painful and hard childhood with complicated

relationship and they were betrayed by their partner and parents. Theo Faber was a

neglected child who never satisfied from perspective of parential love, mainly his father's

abusive behavior made him anxious,

“I grew up feeling edgy, afraid, anxious. This anxiety seemed to predate my existence

and exist independently of me. But I suspect it originated in my relationship with my

father, around whom I was never safe.” (Michaelides,17)

Now as a psychiatric he assumed that the behavior of his father caused behind with a

personality disorder, an untreated life. His father may be a disorder of hysteria for that

reason he behave like that and the result is Theo's traumatize childhood that he has inter-

nalised with him wherever he is gone and belief as he is worthless.

“The result was a childhood and adolescence dominated by hysteria and physical

violence; threats, tears and breaking glass.” (Michaelides,18)

After that he has left his house and attempt to suicide but failed. He has decided to get

therapy and met with Ruth was seems something grandmotherly who saved his life from

darkness in a way of psychotherapy called as ‘the talking cure.’

5.2The unconscious Mind:

The unconscious mind is the repressed memories and desires. Sigmund

Freud is the founder of psychoanalysis and associated with the concept of unconscious

mind. Theo's childhood repressed memories triggers him at the time when he has been

spending life with Kathy, came to know about her cheating on him. The betray of his

parents and his wife had bounded him as worthless person.

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"what better way for me to prove my father was correct that I’m worthless and

unlovable"(Michaelides,11)

He has buried his father unconsciously and he has used different defense mechanism like

denial, repression. Into the consultation he was debating with his psychotherapist, Ruth

when she showed him the reality of his to relationship with his wife, Kathy. She suggested

him to end the relationship but trauma triggering him as he had left his parents without

getting their parential love and the result once again he was not ready to left his love.

“Kathy was not my father, I wasn't condemned to repeat the past. I could change the

future. Kathy and I were happy before, we could be again." (Michaelides,115)

Alicia Berenson, the protagonist, a well known Painter, has changed her life after killing

her husband, Gabriel, a Photographer. The novel starts with an epilogue that writes by her

in her diary. The epilogue proves that she is a woman wrestling with loss, trauma reflects

in her writing.

“I've been feeling depressed lately, about a few things.” (Michaelides,1)

Her mental state was struggling with negative thoughts but she forced to write only

“positive”, "happy” and “normal thoughts” further she writes.

“No crazy thoughts allowed.” (Michaelides,3)

she unconsciously derived her childhood memories like Theo Faber.

5.3 Id, Ego and Super ego:

Psychoanalytic theory is the divided into three main stages: the unconscious

mind, the conscious mind and the preconscious mind. The conscious mind composes the

thoughts and feelings currently aware and guiding decisions. The unconscious mind

consists the repressed feelings, hidden memories, the thoughts mainly incorrect desires and
 HALDER|12

reactions. The preconscious mind is the thoughts and memories are not presently in

conscious mind but can be easily brought to consciousness . It is like a mental waiting

room, Such as memory from our childhood.

Id, ego and super ego are the three parts in the classic Freudian terminology that

becomes famous in psychoanalysis. Id is the dynamic unconscious and pleasure principle

such as hunger, thirst and sex. Super ego is the dynamic conception of the mind and a part

of ego that represents the feelings of guilt, ideal & shame. The ego is the dynamic

conception of the mind, mediating between the demand of id and super ego with reality.

Id, ego and Super ego are played in both Theo Faber and Alicia Berenson's characters. In

Alicia’s case, id was the depressed desire to murder her husband that linked with her

childhood trauma. When Theo was inquiring about Alicia in her past incident then came to

know about her father's grieving after her mother’s death.

“Why she had to die? Why did it have to her? why didn't Alicia die instead?”

(Machareliden,271)

Psychologically her father killed her at that moment that triggered her to kill her husband

,Gabriel. That night when Theo tied them up and asked him to choose his life or Alicia but

he choose himself.

“I don't want to die,” he said. (Machareliden,324)

Gabriel was the second person in her life to condemn Alicia to death as his father did.

The trauma decided her husband’s destiny in her hand to accomplish her long awaited

revenge on her villain father but upon her husband.

Alicia’s ego which represents the rational part of conscious mind that conflict with

id. Alicia’s silence and her expressing art might be her inner feelings and her present
 HALDER|13

situation. As Freud suggested the concept of ego, showed that how she managed her desire

and her emotion in controlled manner. Super ego can make guilty as Alicia feels guilty as

she chooses a person with whom she wishes to spend her life . But he cheats her . That

example that she put on her art work.

Another main character Theo Faber is a Forensic Psychotherapist who started

psychotherapy with a selfish motive to support himself from his past traumas. Theo Faber

seemed to be under pressure with both Id and ego. Id played in her life when his attraction

developed towards Kathy.

“She was right, it was love at first sight-well, lust anyway.” (Machareliden,52)

But when he realized Kathy betrayed with him and he had to leave her but id didn’t ready

to accept the truth and he seemed nothing about Kathy's affair. He stalked Kathy and

Gabriel. He failed to leave Kathy from his Childhood frustrations that was his super ego

reminding him about the commitment to spend life with her. When Theo had left the house

of Alicia without killing anyone that was his ego acting but he wanted to conform that why

Alicia killed her husband. His work on Alicia to satisfy his ego through inner willingness

to know what happened to her. Id provides lack of any sense about right or wrong. Id is not

affected by logic , reality as it manages within unconscious mind. The ego is the decision

making component. The ego has no concept about right and wrong, sometimes satisfying

without causing harm. The super ego is a part of unconscious but the voice of conscience

and the source of self criticism.It everyday life ,super ego is just like one's inner critic.

Freud's id ,ego ,super ego are only abstract, difficult to measure. Critics argues that the

concept is too much internal conflict, overlooking the impact of social, cultural
 HALDER|14

environment. But Despite the criticism, Freud's concept about id ,ego ,super ego influenced

significantly in the field of psychology.

5.4 Defense Mechanism:

The concept of Defense mechanisms was introduced by Sigmund Freud and

his daughter ,Anna Freud upon the psychoanalytic theory. She elaborated her father's

theory work, how the ego fulfilled defense mechanisms to cope with anxiety. In

psychological theory, defense mechanism is an unconscious psychological concept that

used to keep away the mind from anxiety .

In this novel defense mechanism has seen in both characters, Alicia and Theo. Alicia’s

silence was the defense mechanism to protect herself from emotional pain that associated

with her childhood trauma. Alicia started rage towards her husband as her husband had

taken the place of her father as she saw,

“Gabriel had a tyrant’s eyes, my father's eyes” (Michaelider,326)

Theo's actions as he obsessed with his patient Alicia to cope with his anxiety and internal

conflicts which later rooted of conflict in someone's murder case. As he determined to

know Alicia murdered her husband.

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6. Conclusion:

The main motive of psychoanalysis is to interpret individual behavior that formed

by their unconscious desire and suppressed feeling. As Sigmund Freud said,

“Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come

Forth later in uglier way.”

The path one’s childhood developed that played a vital role to shape the personality and

identity of life. The case of Alicia Berenson murdering her husband is the childhood

repressed and suppressed emotions. As well as Theo Faber's childhood trauma continued

with him in his marriage life and after that. They are struggled with their past and

confronting childhood trauma that echo across generations.

The novel revealed the truth that if trauma overcome by the process

of psychotherapy so the lives of three people would not have been destroyed at the same

time. Mental trauma has shattered these three individuals from the inside out, whether

through their own fault or the fault of others. On the other hand,

after six years Theo no longer felt insecure because he was suffering from anxiety. The

betray of the relationship has made the four people far a strange death agony. If there is no

trust in the relationship, it will collapse like a home of cards, seen in this novel. The only

reason why Alicia and Kathy make their silence their future companion is the trauma.

Alicia and Theo both of them have committed suicide due to their trauma but failed and

face the harsh reality. This novel is not only a psychological thriller but also a hard proof

of the real truth.

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Bibliography:

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2. Euripides. The Alcestis. Translated by W Fielding Nevius, united kingdom,1870.

3. Slade, Andrew. Psycho Analytic Theory and Criticism: By Way of an Introduction

to The writings Of Sigmund Freud. U of Dayton, 2016.

4. Abrams, M. H. Glossary of Literary Terms. Cengage Learning, Incorporated, 2014.

5. Bukowski, R. Studies in hysteria - Sigmund Freud and Josef Breuer. 2018

https://psychreviews.org/studies-in-hysteria/

6. Hossain, Mohammad Afzal. "Exploring the Concept of Containment, Childhood

Development and Silence in Alex Michaelides's Novel The Silent Patient: A

Psychoanalytic Critique." International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social

Science, vol. 05, no. 05, 2021, pp. 319-324., doi:10.47772/ijriss.2021.5517.

7. Kazdin, Alan E., Joanne Moser, Debra Colbus, and Robin Bell. "Depressive

symptoms among physically abused and psychiatrically disturbed children." Journal

of Abnormal Psychology 94, no. 3 (1985): 298.

8. Slade, Andrew. Psycho Analytic Theory and Criticism :By Way of an Introduction

to The Writtings of Sigmund Freud.U of Dayton,2016.