Trauma Narrative Research in Everything I Never Told You

Abstract

Celeste Ng is one of the most representative Chinese American writers in the contemporary Chinese American literary world. The dual identities of Chinese and Americans give Celeste Ng’s poetry a unique perspective on the problems of Chinese American family and cultural identity. Everything I Never Told You is Celeste Ng’s first novel, which took six years to complete. It is also the first literary work focusing on cross-ethnic Chinese American families. The novel takes the disappearance of the youngest daughter Lydia as the starting point, discusses the various difficulties suffered by the Chinese American families in American society, and reflects the awkward situation of Chinese American families in American mainstream society. This essay intends to analyze the text of the novel based on the trauma theory,. Firstly, it discusses the psychological and emotional trauma suffered by the Chinese American family in Everything I Never Told You. Secondly, it analyzes the causes of the family trauma. And finally, this essay discusses the healing process of the family. For Chinese families, psychological trauma is the external reaction of social pressure and family contradictions. Only by establishing a harmonious relationship between family members and facing the painful memories, can we get out of the trauma and build a harmonious family and society.