An Interpretation Of Home From The Perspective Of Trauma Theory

Among Morrison's eleven novels, Home in 2012 presents the blacks' living condition of the late 1950 s in the United States by combining the first person narration with the third person narration. Different from the depressing theme in Morrison's previous works, Home is positive and hopeful. The black's mental trauma is caused by cruel social reality and racial discrimination. Home is the harbor for mankind, and also the basic space for their existence. In the continuous spatial transformation, the author gradually presents the process from the traumatic symptoms, transfer, and influence to its healing. The thesis combines the Neo-Slave Narrative, the black's double consciousness with quilting aesthetics to interpret the origin of the black's mental trauma, traumatic experience and symptoms, its influence as well as its process of restraint and healing. Although the journey to home is full of hardships and dangers, the racial discrimination and mental trauma in reality are finally resolved in the sense of belonging to home, which reveals the possibility of healing.This thesis consists of five chapters. It tries to combine the trauma theory with the space theory to explore the physical and mental trauma of the protagonists, and interprets the efforts they had made when they got rid of the trauma. The first chapter is a general introduction, including Morrison, her works,theoretical framework, literature review, the purpose and the significance of the study. It also introduces the research ideas and methods.The second chapter introduces the protagonists' trauma experiences in different physical space to reveal the characters' emotional attitudes and values.The third chapter describes the protagonists' tangled mental space and analyzes the reasons of trauma.In addition, with the help of the symbols in the novel, the author discusses the protagonists' trauma symptoms and healings further. The novel reveals the great mental trauma of African Americans caused by racial discrimination, and it also expresses Morrison's cultural thinking and humanistic care for the living condition of black people in the United States.The fourth chapter is the recovery of trauma. Frank achieved the trauma healing by the stages of recalling memories, reburying bones and admitting crimes. Cee was rescued by Frank and she finally returned to the self with the help of community women. The protagonists' trauma healing is just like sewing a patchwork quilt, which is also the experience of reintegrating their painful memories. The process of quilting was also the foundation of constructing black women's self identities, and by means of sewing,they found the community and united together. Gradually they established the profound sisterhood and achieved the identity. Black women realized that only when they were independent and self-reliant could they get rid of the oppressed status.The last chapter is conclusion. Lotus is not only the physical space for protagonists' survival, but also their spiritual home. The black have been struggling for the social space: home. Only in this warm harbor,can they realize their own survival value, and gain their dignity and independence. Only to return home,can the black cure their physical and mental trauma and achieve their own identity finally.