Trauma theory and narrative

Abstract

The article presents one of the newest interdisciplinary critical theories — the theory of trauma. The author focuses on the concept of trauma as a subject of research, ways of its expression and overcoming through the creation of narratives. A brief review of the literature allows us to determine the degree of development of the theory of trauma in literary studies and the main areas of research. As an example of the use of the theory of trauma as a critical approach in the analysis of a work of art the novel “Beloved” by the 1993 Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison is chosen. When considering the text, special attention is paid to the ways of expressing the traumatic experience of the protagonist. The importance of the theory of trauma is determined by the fact that it is relevant and applicable not only for literary analysis and literary criticism, but also for the study of individual and collective trauma in sociology, psychology, as well as in the field of interdisciplinary research.