Psychological Trauma in Sam Shepard’s A Lie of The Mind

Abstract

This study aims to explore and understand the dire effects of psychological trauma on individuals and family relationships, as depicted in Sam Shepard's play, A Lie of the Mind. This study also aims to understand how psychological trauma caused by violence and abuse affects individuals, families, and their relationships. Furthermore, this study uses trauma theory as the main framework to explore the dire effects of trauma on individuals and family relationships. Psychological trauma focuses on how traumatic experience such as violence and abuse impact the mind, emotions, and behavior over time. The conclusion of this study shows that psychological trauma plays a dire role in the deterioration of family relationships, and how violence and abuse can create an ongoing cycle of suffering, which enables the transmission of trauma's effects from one person to another. Traumatic memory also has a huge effect on the way characters behave, making it hard for them to stay emotionally stable. The study also shows that trauma experienced during childhood years can have long-lasting effects on future behaviors.