Masochism and art as a response to trauma: Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch

This study aims to examine masochism and art as a coping mechanism for trauma by using Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (2005) and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (2013). In the scope of trauma studies, this thesis will analyze the characters, Oskar Schell and Theo Decker, who mourns for their beloved parents. This study bases on the unpleasure principle theory and regards art as dissociation. Both of them use masochism that drives from unpleasure principle as well as developing an emotional relationship between art and themselves so that they can understand and handle their traumatic experience and its effects. Key Words: trauma, masochism, art, dissociation