English Teaching Journal : A Journal of English Literature, Language, and Education
Vol. 13 No. 2 (2025)

Loss and Trauma in Shaping Sarat's Character in El Akkad's American War

Pratama, Bayu Putra (Unknown)
Ikrima Sa'adah, Sufi (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Dec 2025

Abstract

This research aims to analyse how trauma shapes Sarat’s character in the novel American War by Omar El Akkad. The researcher used a descriptive qualitative method to analyse the data. The data were collected by focusing on the narrative text in the novel that depicted the traumatic events and the radicalism acts by Sarat. The researcher analysed the data by providing the descriptive context of the data. In the novel, the researcher describes several accidents, such as Sarat’s parents’ death, losing her home, the massacre in Camp Patience, and the persecution she received in prison, that caused Sarat’s trauma. This trauma somehow led to Sarat’s radical acts and attitude change. There are at least 3 radical acts done by Sarat that were mentioned in this research. It is the killing of a North General Soldier, the killing of the Sugarloaf Detention Centre’s guard, and the homicide of Sarat to spread the dangerous virus. By analysing and connecting the dots between the trauma and future radical acts, the researcher found that Sarat’s trauma and losses she got in her early life indeed had triggered her radicalism acts.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ETJ

Publisher

Subject

Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

English Teaching Journal: A Journal of English Literature, Language, and Education (ETJ) is published by Universitas PGRI Madiun and organized by the Department of English Teaching, the Faculty of Teacher Training and ...