INTEGRATING NARRATIVE AND TRANSGENERATIONAL TRAUMAS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF KOCHAI’S SHORT STORIES

Abstract

Trauma narratives offer valuable insights into historical events by exploring the psychological turmoil experienced by the victims as well as the long-term effects. However, trauma research has focused mainly on Western views, often overlooking the diverse experiences of people and communities outside dominant narratives. A more inclusive approach is necessary to better understand the multifaceted impact of trauma on marginalized populations. Kochai's (2022) work presents a fresh, non-Western perspective on trauma narratives. This study explores the narration of non-Western trauma literature and illuminates the intergenerational transfer of trauma. Furthermore, it understands that trauma can have an inpact that is not only severe and prolonged but also intergenerational, which contradicts the Western-centric perspective of trauma as an individual experience. This recognition develops more successful approaches to trauma recovery and healing. By addressing this gap, the study aims at contributing to the development of the field of literary trauma studies and to provide important insights into the inherited and shared dimensions of trauma. A close reading of Kochai's (2022) text allows us to analyze how trauma is experienced, interpreted and passed down from generation to generation, and how it is further expressed through forms of various narrative and literary techniques in literature. This approach supports a dynamic relationship between narrative approaches and the intergenerational trauma in literature, which will facilitate the intersection of literary analysis and psychological inquiry and enrich our understanding of human condition.

Keywords: Narrative Analysis, Transgenerational Trauma Theory.