Representations of Trauma and the Illusion of Healing in The Clinic by Cate Quinn

Abstract

This research explores the representation of trauma and the illusion of recovery in Cate Quinn’s The Clinic (2002). Through the experiences of psychologically fractured characters, the research demonstrates the failure of therapeutic institutions to live up to their claims. The research highlights the presentation of trauma through narrative, as discussed in the novel The Clinic, which later turns out to be a regulated, commodified, and damaging method of trauma recovery. The trauma theory of Cathy Caruth and Judith Herman is used to justify the claims. Foucauldian principles of disciplinary power have been used to show the psychological fragmentation of the characters. The research method used for this purpose is close textual analysis to extract qualitative results. This methodology has helped to identify patterns of characterization, narrative strategy, and the representation of the institutional space that gives unreliable and performative recovery, which does not have its basis in reality. The novel also represents feminist critique in the postmodern world and its overall impact on the postmodern wellness industry. This research concludes that modern wellness programs commodify the psychic pain of human beings.