VISUALIZATION OF THE TRAUMA NARRATIVE IN JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER'S NOVEL EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

The article studies Jonathan Safran Foer’s second novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Closewithin the theory of trauma narrative. The novel describes the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York, but the events of the day are never explicitly reported. Instead, numerous photographs and other visual elements are included in the text to represent the limits of language in portraying trauma r documenting its effects. It is argued that, because of the symbolical and literal inapproachability of the past and the unspeakability of the trauma, Foer’s characters seek non-verbal means to access the history and express their pain. While any attempt to represent trauma is challenged by its inaccessibility, in the novel it is transmitted in the form of a disjointed narrative and a failure to verbally describe the tragic events. Disruptions and repetitions, the use of visual writing and silence in the text reflect the functioning of a traumatized mind and illustrate that memory is often non-linear and fragmented. At the same time, the urge to re-establish the connection with the traumatic past and create a narrative of tragic experiences is crucial for a successful emotional and psychological recovery of the characters. Here, Foer appears to be playing with the idea that despite limitations of accessing the past, it is possible to at least outline some of its parts. In the article it is suggested that the novel works through the limitations of language and allows for a multiplicity of mediums to account for traumatized psyche: spoken testimonies and photography collide in order to represent violent events and their impact. These elements thus become pieces of a puzzle necessary for understanding of the traumatic history, while the author asks his reader to decode the clues to metaphorically illuminate the past.