International Journal of Literature and Language Studies
Vol. 5 No. 6 (2026): International Journal of Literature and Language Studies

THE POETICS OF SILENCE AND UNSPOKEN EMOTIONS IN AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL NOVELLAS

Boltaeva Dilfuzaxon Shuxrat qizi (Uzbekistan State World Languages University Department Theoretical aspects of English language №1)



Article Info

Publish Date
11 Jun 2026

Abstract

Abstract. This article examines the poetics of silence and unspoken emotions in American psychological novellas through a comparative analysis of Sherwood Anderson, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. The study investigates how silence functions as a narrative strategy for expressing psychological conflicts, emotional repression, and interpersonal alienation. Drawing upon narratology, psychological criticism, and modernist literary theory, the research explores the role of subtext, omission, and indirect communication in shaping character consciousness. The methodological framework combines comparative-literary, narratological, and textual analysis. The findings demonstrate that silence serves not merely as the absence of speech but as a significant artistic device that conveys hidden emotions and psychological tension. Anderson employs silence to reveal loneliness and isolation, Hemingway utilizes subtext through his “Iceberg Theory,” and Steinbeck uses silence to expose social and emotional conflicts. The study concludes that the poetics of silence constitutes one of the defining features of the American psychological novella and contributes to the development of modern narrative techniques.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

ijlls

Publisher

Subject

Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

The mission of the International Journal of Literature and Language Studies (IJLLS) is to provide readers with the development of language studies in linguistics and literature. In addition to manuscripts that center on the study, we welcome manuscripts on a wide range of topics relating to the ...