As a concept, 'trauma' has attracted a great deal of interest in literary studies. A key term in psychoanalytic approaches to literary study, trauma theory represents a critical approach that enables new modes of reading and of listening. It is a leading concept of our time, applicable to individuals, cultures, and nations. This book traces how trauma theory has come to constitute a discrete but influential approach within literary criticism in recent decades. It offers an overview of the genesis and growth of literary trauma theory, recording the evolution of the concept of trauma in relation to literary studies. In twenty-one essays, covering the origins, development, and applications of trauma in literary studies, Trauma and Literature addresses the relevance and impact this concept has in the field.
Introduction; Part I. Origins: 1. The psychoanalytic origins of literary trauma studies Andrew Barnaby; 2. Modernity as the cultural crucible of trauma Karolyn Steffens; 3. Deconstruction: trauma inscribed in language Tom Toremans; 4. The Holocaust as the ultimate trauma narrative Anna Hunter; 5. Ptsd: a new trauma paradigm Lisa Diedrich; Part II. Development: 6. Trauma and narrative Joshua Pederson; 7. Problems in representing trauma Marinella Rodi-Risberg; 8. Trauma in non-Western contexts Irene Visser; 9. Trauma and memory Silke Arnold-De Simine; 10. Neuroscience, narrative, and emotion regulations William Seeley; 11. Trauma in the digital age Allen Meek; 12. Feminist interventions in trauma studies Jennifer Griffiths; 13. Healing and post-traumatic growth Suzanne Lalonde; Part III. Applications: 14. Trauma and the literature of war Gerd Bayer; 15. Trauma and sexual violence Emma V. Miller; 16. Postcolonial trauma Jennifer Yusin; 17. Trauma and the visual arts Marie Krüger; 18. The middle passage and race-based trauma Luminita M. Dragulescu; 19. The trauma of displacement Madelaine Hron; 20. Trauma, truth and reconciliation Erica Still; 21. Terrorism: trauma in the excess of affect Michael Richardson; Conclusion: after trauma studies.
