Decoding The Suspense: An Exploration of Barthesian Codes in Paula Hawkins’s Psychological Thriller, The Girl On The Train

Authors : Oumeima Barkat, Omar Rahmoun

Pages : 89-115

View : 126 | Download : 74

Publication Date : 2025-09-30

Article Type : Other Papers

Abstract :What makes a psychological thriller impossible to put down? Is it the twists, the suspense, or the way it mirrors our deepest fears? Roland Barthes’s theory of narrative codes offers a compelling lens to explore these questions. This study relies on his five codes-hermeneutic, proairetic, semantic, symbolic, and cultural-to unpack the workings of the psychological thriller genre. Renowned for their tangled plots, psychological thrillers demand active reader engagement. Yet, despite their popularity, systematic research applying Barthesian semiotics to explore their immersive qualities remains limited. Through a qualitative analysis of Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train (2015), this study examines how Barthes’s codes shape the genre’s construction of mystery, thematic depth, symbolic undertones, and socio-cultural connotations. It uncovers the mechanisms through which psychological thrillers engage readers on multiple levels, offering a new perspective on their narrative caliber and universal appeal. The interplay between the genre’s structures and readers’ engagement with them reveals how these texts, far from mere entertainment, are multilayered, with Barthes’s codes acting as distinct voices in an open dialogue with the reader.
Keywords : Beş anlatı kodu, Paula Hawkins, Psikolojik gerilim, Roland Barthes, Göstergebilim

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