Modern Social Science Research

This article focuses on the image of Marvin Macy in The Ballad of the Sad Café, analyzing his psychological evolution based on trauma theory. Marvin was abandoned by his parents and subjected to long-term abuse in childhood. This trauma led to the formation of an aggressive personality, evolving from early harmful behaviors to violent crimes. His extreme love and revenge towards Amelia essentially reflect emotional distortion and "Repetition Compulsion" caused by childhood trauma—he attempts to recreate traumatic scenarios through behaviors like donating family property to seek healing, but turns to revenge upon failure. The study reveals that childhood trauma influences individual behavior through deformed defense mechanisms, and the conservatism of Southern American town and social exclusion further exacerbate his psychological deterioration, ultimately making him a tragedy of intertwined historical context and human nature.

The Ballad of the Sad Café; Childhood trauma; Aggression; Repetition compulsion