Searching For "Home"-a Trauma Study Of Toni Morrison’s Paradise And A Mercy

As the first African-American writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, ToniMorrison ranks among the most prominent figures in the American literature. Her novelParadise explores the concern of self isolation and racism of the African Americansociety. A Mercy, Morrison’s second latest novel, describes the enslavement suffered byslaves of different races in the early colonial period of the New Continent. Based on thetrauma theory of Cathy Caruth, Kai Erikson, and Judith Herman, this thesis, bycomparing and analyzing Paradise and A Mercy, attempts to explore the search andconstruction of home.This thesis is composed of five chapters. Chapter One is the Introduction, which isdivided into three parts. The first part is a brief introduction to Toni Morrison and herliterary career, together with the story outlines of Paradise and A Mercy. The second partis a literature review. The third part sets forth the trauma theory and the layout of thisthesis. Chapter Two analyzes various forms of trauma experienced by survivors, andfurther investigates how shared trauma bonds them together to set up a house to seekprotection. Chapter Three argues that the reappearance of traumatic memories displaysits cruelty in preventing the healing process. The trauma syndromes of history distortion,discrimination, moral corruption, and over dependence deprive the house of protectionand care. Chapter Four points out that recovery offers survivors a way to smash thememory trammels so as to construct an open home. Chapter Five presents a summary ofthis study, pointing out that recovery from trauma helps to construct an open home andoffers hope for a dynamic American nation. By analyzing Paradise and A Mercy from theperspective of trauma theory, this thesis intends to help readers to gain betterunderstanding of home search in Morrison’s novels, and start further discussions ofliterary works with the home theme.