The Transformative Potential of Trauma in “Waiting for the Barbarians” by J.M. Coetzee

Abstract

This article analyses the novel Waiting for the Barbarians (1980) by the South African author J.M. Coetzee from the perspective of the transformative potential of trauma. Waiting for the Barbarians is a novel centred around the conflict between the Empire and the Barbarians, which prompts the active participation of the individual. The trauma in the protagonist’s life becomes the motivator of the dramatic change in his humanist mindset. In my paper, I discuss the manifestations of indirect and direct trauma experience of the protagonist, which transform his attitude towards his personal situation, as well as the situation of “the other.” The resulting perspective is compared to the concepts of posthumanist philosophy outlined by Rosi Braidotti. The article expands the viewpoint on the possibility of reading Coetzee’s novels in the light of posthumanism. Through the analysis of the text, the article creates the interpretative framework linking the author with the fields of trauma theory and posthumanism.