Defying the traditional stages of trauma healing in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole and David auburn’s proof: A deconstructive analysis

Lujain Alharbi (), Rawdhah Alnafie () and Amani Alghamdi ()

International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, 2025, vol. 14, issue 1, 31-41

Abstract: This paper aims to analyze how Becca in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole and Catherine in David Auburn’s Proof challenge traditional binaries of healing/trauma, safety/vulnerability, and reconnection/isolation. The research design involves a textual analysis and critical interpretation of selected quotations from both plays. This study dismantles the binary oppositions to reveal the fluid and unstable nature of these categories, disrupting conventional narratives of linear recovery by utilizing Derrida’s deconstructive approach. The findings reveal that the protagonists in both plays occupy liminal spaces where healing and trauma coexist, creating a complex emotional landscape in which progress and regression are intertwined. Safety is inseparably tied to vulnerability, while reconnection remains entangled with isolation, demonstrating that these states are not mutually exclusive but rather interdependent. This study reveals the deep and multifaceted nature of trauma and healing through an in-depth examination of mourning, grief, and psychological resilience. Additionally, the findings suggest that these plays critique the limitations of binary frameworks in understanding recovery, advocating for more nuanced and flexible interpretations of the healing process. Ultimately, this study highlights how modern drama serves as a powerful tool for exploring the complexities of human emotion and the unpredictable nature of healing in times of intense loss.

Keywords: American drama; Deconstruction; Healing; Proof; Rabbit hole; Trauma. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:asi:ijells:v:14:y:2025:i:1:p:31-41:id:5329

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