The Depiction of Alcohol Addiction Trauma in Paulla Hawkin’s the Girl on the Train and Binyanvanga Wainaina’s One Day I Will Write About This Place

Abstract of The Depiction of Alcohol Addiction Trauma in Paulla Hawkin’s the Girl on the Train and Binyanvanga Wainaina’s One Day I Will Write About This Place

The study examined the depiction of alcohol addiction and its traumatic effects on the psychological state of the victims. Through the findings in the previous chapters, the study identified two distinct instances which could lead to alcohol addiction from the perspectives of the texts under review: Paula Hawkin’s The Girl on the Train and Binyanvanga Wainaina’s One Day I Will Write about this Place.

The study reveals how marital issues such as childlessness, divorce, domestic violence could lead to a vast traumatic experience from either of the spouses and consequently resulting to alcohol addiction. This is captured through Hawkin’s character, Sarah, the protagonist of the novel who was inflicted with this psychological trauma because of her inability to give birth to a child.

Secondly, the study also identified another cause of traumatic experience as the fear is becoming successful in life. This is captured in Binyanvanga Wainaina’s One Day I Will Write about this Place, a memoir which reflects the traumatic experience of the writer which was caused by his failure to accomplish certain feats in life based on his assumption.

Using Sigmund Freud’s Psycho-analysis theory, the study has also succeeded in identifying and distinguishing among the key components of the mental compartments: ego (conscious mind), id (unconscious mind) and the super-ego.

The study revealed that: Alcohol addiction is a manifestation of an uncontrolled traumatic experience which keeps revisiting the mind. There are certain measures that could be taken to help victims of alcohol addiction heal their mental and psychological illness.

The study concluded that the issue of mental trauma is typical of different social fragments depending in the aspects which one finds himself and the justification of Freud’s psychoanalytical components are sacrosanct. The study further recommends that; Every member of the society should do away with things that would damage their emotions, feelings and consequently leading psychological trauma; Every member of the society should be courageous and put up bold fronts in times of hardship and trauma; Every member of the society should note that alcohol addiction is not an escape route from psychological trauma, rather is worsens it. Every member of the society should try to show love to those who are psychologically or mentally disabled and alcohol addiction victims as this could help them heal their emotional wounds and pains.