The Representation of Trauma and Trauma Coping Strategies in Grace Nichols's <i>I is a Long Memoried Woman</i>
ENGLISH STUDIES, cilt.98, sa.3, ss.324-342, 2017 (AHCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 98 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2017
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/0013838x.2016.1257543
- Dergi Adı: ENGLISH STUDIES
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.324-342
- Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır
Özet
Using the historical background of the Middle Passage and slavery and drawing on the tools provided by trauma studies, this study carries out a comprehensive analysis of Grace Nichols's I is a Long Memoried Woman (1983). The starting hypothesis explored in this study is that I is a Long Memoried Woman represents traumatic experiences of the Middle Passage and slavery as well as trauma coping strategies adopted by Afro-Caribbean slaves, especially black slave women. Accordingly, this study first delves into four main trauma representation strategies in I is a Long Memoried Woman: repression, haunting, repetition and traumatic pastoral. It then explores the representation of trauma coping strategies adopted by Afro-Caribbean peoples: return to religion and spirituality, dissociation, escape through imagination and revenge fantasies. In doing so, this study demonstrates that there is a possibility for trauma victims such as Afro-Caribbean peoples to heal their wounds and move on as represented in I is a Long Memoried Woman.