Mapping the Silence in Michaelides’s The Silent Patient: A Study of Bremond’s Logic of Narrative Possibilities

Abstract

The present study examines psychological trauma, pain, fear and the process of awakening in The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides through the lens of Claude Bremond’s Logic of Narrative Possibilities. The paper reflects on the efforts made by the characters and scrutinises how events take place under the contexts of deterioration and recovery etc., as explained by Bremond. The narrative of the work under study is centered on the journey of Alicia Berenson in her silence, as it successfully tests her inner self and expectations placed on her by the society she lives in. The outcome of the analysis shows that the advanced changes in the narrative reveal the latent conflicts in personal and moral spheres. As a result, these findings support the notion that the manipulation of narrative forms reflects our imperative instincts and drives. By adopting Bremond’s theoretical framework, the paper highlights how the plot sequences reveal innovative tactics of psychological defiance and healing. The narrative structure enables the exploration of inner worlds that upend traditional views on freedom and expression.