Trauma, Guilt, and Narrative: An Analysis of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars and Family of Liars

Abstract

The present article examines E. Lockhart’s novels We Were Liars (2014) and the prequel Family of Liars (2022); it employs the notions of “trauma” and the “sense of guilt” and draws upon the view that narration can be a therapeutic tool. Accordingly, the article argues that the narratives which Cadence in We Were Liars and Carrie in Family of Liars form out of flashbacks as well as imaginary conversations and events help them deal with trauma and guilt respectively. It is argued that Cadence overcomes the traumatic memory of accidentally causing the death of the Liars through the fragmented narrative she constructs, and Carrie’s shaped narrative helps her deal with the internalized sense of guilt she develops on account of murdering Pfeff. At the beginning of their narratives, both Cadence and Carrie are burdened with grief, repressing their tragic memories; however, through the gradual development of the narratives they form, they eventually take responsibility for causing the death of their victims. In fact, Cadence and Carrie manage to cope with grief by shaping narratives in which they ensure that they are forgiven, and their victims are in peace after passing, asserting at the end of their narratives that they can endure such pain. Therefore, the present article posits that the shaped narratives in Lockhart’s selected novels function as an outlet, as the narratives help give Cadence and Carrie new perspectives on the tragic incidents and enable them to move on with their lives.