Exploring The Intersection Of Language, Childhood Emotional Neglect, And Family Dynamics In Pinto’s Em And The Big Hoom: An Analysis Of Illness Narratives

This research paper analyses the intersection of language, childhood emotional neglect, and family dynamics in Jerry Pinto’s novel Em and the Big Hoom (2012). The novel portrays the life of a dysfunctional family in Mumbai, India, where the narrator, the son, and his sister cope with their mother’s severe bipolar disorder and their father’s emotional detachment. The paper draws on the critical perspectives of scholars such as Sarah Ahmed and Cathy Caruth to examine the role of language in the transmission and representation of trauma. This research paper employs the theoretical frameworks of trauma studies and family systems theory to explore the intersection of language, childhood emotional neglect, and family dynamics in Pinto’s novel. Through a close analysis of the text, this paper shows how Em’s bipolar disorder and her use of language both reflect and are shaped by the family dynamics of emotional neglect.