How Does the Idea of Trauma as a Concept Fit Into the Super Hero Comics-Narrative?

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How does the idea of trauma as a concept fit into the super hero comics-narrative? 1. Introduction : The central topic of the following essay is the exploration of the concept of trauma and how it fits into the super hero comic-narrative. First, we will get a look into the topic Trauma itself to understand its psychological repercussions which is vital for further understanding why trauma is used in the genre of superhero narratives. The author of a psychological study on the comic-narrative “Batman” written by Michael Brody presents us Sigmund Freud’s and Anna Freud’s notions on the psychic trauma at the hands of the exemplary super hero. Brody describes Freud’s theory on trauma as following: “Freud wrote about the flooding of the psychic apparatus with large amounts of stimuli and the helplessness experienced when the ego is overwhelmed.” (Brody 1995: 172) He also notes that Anna Freud’s focus lies in the essentiality of the ego’s helplessness being suddenly and unexpectedly overwhelmed. (1995: 172) “She highlights the importance of developmental concerns and describes how external trauma can be converted into internal trauma if the trauma fulfills either deep-seated anxieties or wishes. She feels that a truly traumatic event is never truly resolved and may show up later in life […]”. (1995: 172) In other words we can assume that the experience of trauma comes at the hands of a sudden and unexpected attack on the victims psyche and influences its mental state and development. The next question that comes to mind is what must happen in order for a person to be traumatized and what are the after effects? In the manner of Michael Brody’s work one might take a look at a few examples of narratives that deals with said topic – in this case the superhero comic-narrative. 2. Trauma in the Narrative: Trauma is a topic that has been analyzed and
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