The Representation of Women's Trauma in the Memoir Broken Strings: A Julia Kristeva Semiotic Analysis

Abstract

Women's trauma resulting from child grooming and psychological abuse is often represented through symbolic and emotional narratives that require in-depth interpretation. This study aims to analyze the representation of women's trauma in the memoir Broken Strings: Fragments of a Stolen Youth by Aurelie Moeremans using Julia Kristeva's semiotic theory. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, using the memoir as the primary data source. Supporting sources consisted of scholarly books, peer-reviewed journal articles, and previous studies specifically selected based on their relevance to Julia Kristeva's semiotics, trauma studies, women's trauma, and gender-based violence. Data were collected through close reading and documentation. The analysis was conducted through four stages: (1) identifying textual units related to women's trauma, (2) classifying the data into phenotext, genotext, and intertextuality, (3) interpreting the meanings using Kristeva's semiotic framework and trauma theory, and (4) drawing conclusions based on recurring patterns across the analyzed data. The findings reveal that the phenotext represents trauma through explicit linguistic features, including diction, narrative, dialogue, and descriptions of the protagonist's physical and emotional responses. The genotext uncovers deeper psychological meanings, such as traumatic memories, unconscious emotional conflict, insecurity, and self-reflection that continue to shape the protagonist's identity. Furthermore, the intertextual analysis demonstrates that the memoir is closely connected to broader social discourses on child grooming, psychological abuse, emotional manipulation, and gender-based violence. The representation of women's trauma is manifested through experiences of child grooming, gaslighting, emotional manipulation, internal conflict, loss of personal safety, and the freeze response, illustrating the long-term psychological consequences of abusive relationships. This study contributes to communication and literary studies by demonstrating that Kristeva's semiotic approach provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the linguistic, psychological, and social dimensions of women's trauma while raising awareness of the lasting impacts of psychological violence.