Psychological Trauma, Speech, and Identity: A Critical Discourse Analysis study

Abstract

This study looks at how psychological traumas shape identity formation, through speech impairment. The people who suffer these traumas undergo numerous challenges int their lives. This research navigates the movie The King's Speech, to critically analyze the role of the traumas in the identity formation and the situation of the person, through specific dialogue and scenes from the movie using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), as proposed by the model proposed by Teun A. van Dijk as methodology. The theoretical framework is based on Carl Jung's psychoanalytic theory, especially the constructions of ego, shadow, persona, and self that are used to interpret the protagonist's discourse. To investigate how linguistic expressions reveal internal psychological conflict, identity struggles, and emotional repression, dialogues are categorized using these Jungian constructs. The analysis shows that stammering is more than just a speech disorder; it is closely linked to internalized insecurity, social pressure, and childhood trauma. The movie also emphasizes the tremendous pressure of royal duty, where a king must possess public authority, self-assurance, and perfect speech. The protagonist's psychological suffering and sense of failure are worsened by this expectation, which breeds a deep fear of criticism and public scrutiny. The results also highlight how society contributes to the stigma associated with speech disorders because people who stammer are frequently made fun of or excluded, which further undermines their confidence and sense of self. The study also shows that social stigma and fear of public opinion often cause psychological issues to be disregarded or denied. The study concludes that speech in the movie functions as a crucial location where social expectations, institutional power, psychological trauma, and personal identity converge, illuminating the complex connection between language, the psyche, and social structures.