Terminal Illness as Trauma: A Comparative Study of Green's The Fault in our Stars and El-Behairy's Memoirs of a Radioactive Woman

This study investigates the possibility of applying Cathy Caruth's theory of trauma on illness narrative. This is particularly regarding how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is represented in two widely acclaimed novels: The Fault in our Stars (2012) by John Green and Yawmiyyat Imra'a Mush'a [Memoirs of a Radioactive Woman] (2006) by Nemat El-Behairy. It is a well-known fact that, trauma studies have historically examined the psychological aftermath of wars, genocides, and disasters. However, this paper argues that the diagnosis and experience of terminal illness can also be considered a traumatic event. This trauma produces a set of symptoms, understood through the lens of PTSD.Employing Sigmund Freud's notion of traumatic neurosis, as well as Cathy Caruth's notions of belatedness, fragmentation, and repetition, this research examines how both narratives represent trauma symptoms. The study utilizes a qualitative comparative approach for a close textual analysis of the previously mentioned narratives. The findings of the research illustrate how the two protagonists of the novels exhibit symptoms of PTSD. Additionally, the comparative aspect provides an understanding of the role played by sociocultural context in decreasing or elevating part of their suffering.