Child Trauma in American Postmodern Literature. The Case of Toni Morrison's God Help the Child: A Psychoanalytic Approach

Abstract

The current study examines Toni Morrison's God Help the Child wherein she portrays childhood traumas endured by the characters in a society corrupted by racial prejudice through a unique narrative. Hence, the research aims to trace each of those traumas and the recovery process through various events presented across the storyline of the novel. This research utilizes the descriptive and analytical method based primarily on a psychoanalytic approach and trauma theory to evaluate the innate desires and traumatic experiences of the writer as well as her characters psychoanalytically. The dissertation is partitioned into three chapters; the first chapter provides an overview of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytical literary criticism. The second chapter covers the main points about trauma theory and literary trauma theory. The third and last chapter describes the focal points about Morrison and her last work; it also unveils the childhood trauma and recovery of the main characters Lula Ann/Bride and Booker Starbern. By approaching Toni Morrison’s biography and her novel God Help the Child from a psychoanalytical perspective, the findings clarify that the characters of the novel are a reflection of the author’s life and a mirror of the American society. It also evidences the valuable role of psychoanalysis in understanding the psychology of Morrison and the personages in American Postmodern Literature generally and the novel particularly. Moreover, the research asserts Toni Morrison’s ability to portray the characters' child traumas and their routes towards rehabilitation.