A Study Of Postcolonial Trauma In Disgrace

Disgrace depicts a series of disgraceful events the white experiences as well asthe revenges of the black in the post-apartheid times. Both the black and the white arefacing the difficulties of survival and spiritual confusion in this transitional period.The thesis discusses the theme of trauma in the novel in the post-colonialcontext through applying traumatic theory of Gabriel Schwab, Ruth Leys and JudithLewis Herman. It analyzes traumatic experiences of main characters and factorscontributing to them so as to reveal how the identities of whites and blacks areconverted in a turbulent era when their victimhood is imposed historically. It alsoexplores the author’s indication of the possibility of recovery.This thesis consists of six parts. Chapter one is a review of the criticisms that thework Disgrace has received. Chapter two deals with the theoretical framework of thisthesis based on the definitions of trauma, the development of trauma theory, and therelation between trauma and fiction. Chapter three concentrates on traumaticexperiences of the characters in the novel, including both the trauma of theex-colonized and trauma of post-colonizers with Lurie and Lucy as the representatives.Chapter four explores the causes of trauma. Despite the characters’ own personalityflaws, colonial domination, cultural and racial conflicts all contribute major factors tothe conversion of the victim and the victimizer. Chapter five analyzes how thosedifferent figures try their best to work through trauma. The conclusion of this thesis isthat in the post-apartheid time both the colonized and colonizer are victims. Thetrauma is so deep that there is no easy way for them to heal. The black and the whitehave to attempt at a possibility of recovery so that human history can get rid of thetransmigration of violence.