Abstract
In the psychology and literary fields, the theoretical study of trauma has received increasing attention. It is widely applied by experts and scholars across various aspects, such as war, gender and so on. To give it more practical significance, the main object of this study is to investigate the modern use of trauma by connecting it to the topic of a nation. China, the country first plagued by COVID-19—a representative modern trauma—has suffered not only physically but also mentally. This paper will analyze how trauma affects a nation by using classical theories on trauma, such as those from Sigmund Freud and Cathy Caruth. In terms of national collective trauma, new theories from Roger Luckhurst and Jeffrey C. Alexander would also be adopted. To achieve the sophisticated link between trauma and nation, the unprescence of trauma and its social identity threat to China are further discussed as main parts of this essay. This research will encourage a more rational treatment of collective trauma sufferers and calls for the realistic and practical use of the literary trauma theory.
Highlights
The literary study of trauma was first introduced by Freud and became more focused with the recognition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which describes a psychological disease stemming from a severe traumatic experience
As a nation that has experienced the striking pandemic of COVID-19, China can be explored as an important case in terms of trauma study
The relationship between the father and his child is what makes it difficult for the father to understand his death. When we apply this to the unprescence of the traumatic memory of COVID-19, the bond with the dead and the infectious, and the bond with every compatriot, explains why people choose to turn a blind eye to reality
Summary
The literary study of trauma was first introduced by Freud and became more focused with the recognition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which describes a psychological disease stemming from a severe traumatic experience. The term was initially used when referring to individuals suffering from catastrophic events, but the scope was eventually widened to include those who were indirectly involved. Luckhurst named those who were indirectly involved “the second victims,” which “includes witnesses, bystanders, rescue workers, relatives” (Roger, 2008). Alexander and The Trauma Question (2008) by Roger Luckhurst both stated that a traumatic event would permanently influence a nation’s identity. In this essay, based on the theories above, it mainly discusses how trauma could work on a specific nation and how a traumatic event influences a nation’s identity from different aspects by combining the traditional theories on trauma and modern ones on national collective trauma
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