A Pluralistic Analysis of Traumatic Loss in Hamnet and All Is True

The article highlights how the study of trauma in different literary works, especially novels and movies, is interesting to all researchers. The reason for this is that expressions and visual effects, that are used by writers and directors, are presented in an attractive way for showing the effect of traumatic experience upon the traumatized characters. Trauma is a term used to describe the psychological and behavioral symptoms that afflict an individual by experiencing a traumatic event. This article tries to focus on a specific type of trauma which is called traumatic loss or traumatic grief. Trauma theory is used to shed light on how traumatic events are reflected in literature, historical texts, and movies by analyzing expressions of loss and grief.  The article adopts Michelle Balaev’s pluralistic trauma theory as an innovative approach to analyze traumatic loss thematically and technically in All Is True movie by the British writer, Ben Elton and in Hamnet novel by the Irish-British writer, Maggie O’Farrell. In discussing Shakespeare’s life, none of scholars trace how his son Hamnet died. Although the novel and the movie are two different artistic mediums, they are historical fictions that imagine the reason behind Hamnet’s death. Hence, the article aims to analyze traumatic loss in Elton's movie All Is True (2018) and Maggie's novel Hamnet (2020) and to show its effect upon Shakespeare and his family.