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Virginia Woolf and Trauma: Embodied Texts
American scholars of English literature tease out a trauma narrative embodied throughout Woolf's (1882-1941) texts that repeat and reflect her traumatic experiences over a lifetime of literary production. Among the traumas they find are the deaths of her mother, half-sister Stella, and brother Thoby; the mental illness of her half-sister Laura; and sexual abuse by her two half-brothers. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
317 pages, Paperback
First published March 30, 2007
About the author
Suzette A. Henke
7 books7 followersSuzette A. Henke joined the University of Louisville as Thruston B. Morton Senior Professor of Literary Studies in 1991.
Although she initially set out to investigate the intriguing interface between autobiography and fiction of self-writing in context of gender and genre in early 80s, Suzette A. Henke's interest shifted unexpectedly once she witnessed the pattern of repressed trauma in large number of 20th century autobiographical women writings.
Suzette A. Henke, as response to witnessing the pattern, wrote a paper in which she argued that the process of writing in context of trauma can provide an alternative means for post-traumatic auto-therapy for trauma survivors and which she delivered in 1985 at Modern Language Association Convention in Chicago.
But the prevalent notions about literature and trauma have yet to be changed by the Judith Lewis Herman's groundbreaking text Trauma and Recovery that was published in subsequent decade.
Suzette A. Henke made a decision not to deal specifically with Holocaust narratives because a specific historical context was tied to them, which is also true for war and combat trauma narratives written mostly written by male survivors throughout the history, while, on the other side, everyday day trauma that women and children suffered - as part of what adult and male-dominated society defined as "normal" life - went unnoticed throughout human history.
With interest being payed to the narratives of overlooked - mostly women's and children's - trauma by women themselves, things begun to change.
Suzette A. Henke in her research discerned three basic subject-positions in those narratives.
In the survivor's texts and oral narratives we are often, but not always, first met by a "host", as some in the post traumatic dissociation field call this subject-position, whose function is to introduce the reader/ witness, be it externally or internally (within herself or himself) to conflicting memories, feelings and thoughts, presented by, which can be seen as the second subject-position, fragmented version of the self or multiple selves (or personalities); and, as result of being witnessed and read there is socially constructed new subject who is slowly and painfully emerging in the process of writing itself, integrating fragments and seeking successful integration into a larger discursive community. Whether attributable to fantasy or social construction, such (mis-)recognition is vital to the individual's sense of agency and subjectivity. In order to function as an effective being in the world, one must necessary cling to such a result, despite its status of a (partially social, partially fictional) construct.
Although she initially set out to investigate the intriguing interface between autobiography and fiction of self-writing in context of gender and genre in early 80s, Suzette A. Henke's interest shifted unexpectedly once she witnessed the pattern of repressed trauma in large number of 20th century autobiographical women writings.
Suzette A. Henke, as response to witnessing the pattern, wrote a paper in which she argued that the process of writing in context of trauma can provide an alternative means for post-traumatic auto-therapy for trauma survivors and which she delivered in 1985 at Modern Language Association Convention in Chicago.
But the prevalent notions about literature and trauma have yet to be changed by the Judith Lewis Herman's groundbreaking text Trauma and Recovery that was published in subsequent decade.
Suzette A. Henke made a decision not to deal specifically with Holocaust narratives because a specific historical context was tied to them, which is also true for war and combat trauma narratives written mostly written by male survivors throughout the history, while, on the other side, everyday day trauma that women and children suffered - as part of what adult and male-dominated society defined as "normal" life - went unnoticed throughout human history.
With interest being payed to the narratives of overlooked - mostly women's and children's - trauma by women themselves, things begun to change.
Suzette A. Henke in her research discerned three basic subject-positions in those narratives.
In the survivor's texts and oral narratives we are often, but not always, first met by a "host", as some in the post traumatic dissociation field call this subject-position, whose function is to introduce the reader/ witness, be it externally or internally (within herself or himself) to conflicting memories, feelings and thoughts, presented by, which can be seen as the second subject-position, fragmented version of the self or multiple selves (or personalities); and, as result of being witnessed and read there is socially constructed new subject who is slowly and painfully emerging in the process of writing itself, integrating fragments and seeking successful integration into a larger discursive community. Whether attributable to fantasy or social construction, such (mis-)recognition is vital to the individual's sense of agency and subjectivity. In order to function as an effective being in the world, one must necessary cling to such a result, despite its status of a (partially social, partially fictional) construct.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 27, 2011
I have added this book to VW group's "woolf-scholarship" shelf as posted to the introduction discussion there.
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