Silence and Self-Harm: Understanding Unconventional Voices

Authors

Sarah Cannon, Brigham Young UniversityFollow

Keywords

trauma, silence, self-harm, communication, Vietnam war, Tim O'Brien

Abstract

This essay explores the connection between silence, self-harm, and communication in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. It shows how viewing silence and self-imposed violence as modes of communication contributes to a more productive understanding of trauma and increases the opportunity for healing.

Issue and Volume

Vol. 11, no. 1

BYU ScholarsArchive Citation

Cannon, Sarah (2018) "Silence and Self-Harm: Understanding Unconventional Voices," Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism: Vol. 11: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/criterion/vol11/iss1/4