“Nach Auschwitz ein Gedicht zu schreiben, ist barbarisch“1 This is a famous quotation by Theodor W. Adorno. It may surprise to find it at the beginning of a thesis paper called “9/11 in Literature and Film”. Obviously, the amount of victims of the Holocaust and 9/11 differ enormously, and the events are therefore incomparable. However, many people have labeled the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that happened on September 11, 2001 as the major catastrophe of our times; irreversibly changing the world we live in. Causing a trauma and massive grief to many people and leading to further deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq (civilians as well as soldiers), the attacks have huge significance for today’s worldwide political and social situation. For example, the issue of withdrawing the troops from Iraq is a major point of discussion in the ongoing presidential candidate debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. It is the question of how one can do justice to the many victims of 9/11 and its aftermath by means of literature and film. Is it possible to put trauma and grief in words, and maybe even contribute to overcome these states and accept reality? This will be the central focus of this thesis paper. To examine how 9/11 is represented in literature, I have chosen to examine three novels and one collection of comic strips. These have been written by very different authors: a hyped youngster, an old hand at fiction about politics and terrorism, an Englishman and a comic-strip artist who has before dealt with the Holocaust in a graphic novel. This indicates a great variety of how to come to terms with the traumatic experience; however, they share more than may be visible at first sight. Additionally, I will analyze two films, a documentary and a mainstream Hollywood feature and show how these films surprisingly similarly tackle issues of loss and grief.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- 9/11 as trauma
- Definition of trauma
- 9/11 as a traumatic experience
- 9/11 in literature
- Overview
- Jonathan Safran Foer “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
- Plot summary
- Structure and style
- The narrator
- Recurring themes and motifs
- The key
- Loneliness and loss
- The pictures of the falling man
- Conclusion
- Ian McEwan \"Saturday\"
- Plot summary
- Structure and style
- Setting of the novel
- Recurring themes
- Religion
- Illness
- Terrorism
- Conclusion
- Don DeLillo “Falling Man”
- Plot summary
- Structure and style
- Recurring themes
- Terrorism
- Religion
- The Falling Man
- Loss of memory
- Conclusion
- Art Spiegelman “In the Shadow of No Towers”
- Structure and style
- Analysis of plate no. 2
- Conclusion
- Conclusion: 9/11 in literature
- Setting
- The Falling Man
- Mental diseases/loss of memory
- Family
- Religion
- Politics
- 9/11 in film
- Documentaries
- Movies
- Oliver Stone \"World Trade Center\"
- Plot summary
- Authentic background
- Fact vs. fiction
- Inaccuracies and dramatizations
- Recurring themes
- Heroism
- Family
- Patriotism
- Religion
- Film techniques
- Conclusion
- Jules and Gédéon Naudet \"9/11\"
- Background information
- Summary of the film
- Arrangement of the film
- Narration
- Creating suspense / dramatization
- External footage
- Central themes
- Heroism
- Patriotism
- Conclusion
- Conclusion: 9/11 in film
- Final Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis paper aims to explore the representation of 9/11 in literature and film, focusing on how these mediums grapple with the trauma and grief caused by the attacks. The paper examines the chosen works through a lens of trauma theory, analyzing recurring themes and motifs. The analysis highlights the diverse ways in which authors and filmmakers attempt to come to terms with the devastating event.
- The impact of 9/11 as a traumatic event
- The representation of trauma and grief in literature and film
- Recurring themes such as loss, family, and religion
- The use of literary and cinematic techniques to convey trauma and its consequences
- The role of art in processing and understanding traumatic experiences
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the topic of 9/11 and its significance, establishing the thesis paper's focus on examining the representation of trauma in literature and film. The chapter also provides a brief overview of the selected works. The second chapter explores the concept of trauma through the lens of trauma theory, defining trauma and examining how 9/11 qualifies as a traumatic experience.
Chapter 3 analyzes the chosen works of literature, starting with an overview of how 9/11 is addressed in contemporary literature. The chapter then focuses on four specific works: Jonathan Safran Foer’s "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," Ian McEwan’s "Saturday," Don DeLillo’s "Falling Man," and Art Spiegelman’s "In the Shadow of No Towers." The chapter analyzes each work's plot summary, structure, style, recurring themes, and conclusion.
Chapter 4 shifts the focus to film, starting with an overview of how 9/11 has been portrayed in documentaries and feature films. The chapter then analyzes two specific films: Oliver Stone’s "World Trade Center" and Jules and Gédéon Naudet’s "9/11." The chapter explores each film's background, plot summary, structure, themes, and techniques.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary focus of this thesis paper lies in exploring the representation of 9/11 as a traumatic event in literature and film. The paper analyzes recurring themes such as loss, family, religion, heroism, and patriotism. The use of literary and cinematic techniques to convey trauma and its consequences is also examined. Keywords include 9/11, trauma, literature, film, representation, loss, grief, family, religion, heroism, patriotism, literary techniques, cinematic techniques.
- Quote paper
- Sandra Maschke (Author), 2008, 9/11 in Literature and Film, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/113179