An Analysis On Jazz From The Perspective Of Trauma Theory

Since the 1980 s,Toni Morrison wrote a series of novels,including Beloved,Jazz and Paradise,which promoted the thinking and discussion of black problems to a higher peak.She greatly concerns with the spiritual world and the identity belongings of black people,especially those who suffer from traumatic events.Jazz has consistently followed Morrison's creation tenet: to have uncomplex stories with complex people in them.It records characters' traumatic experiences in the period of Reconstruction by a love triangle,and narrates how those blacks get rid of nightmare past and repressed mind,and obtain reconstruction of both physiology and psychology.Morrison articulates blacks' serious trauma through depicting individuals' living conditions.What Morrison concerns about is not only the suffering history of black people,but also a way out of those miseries.Readers can find that Morrison emphasizes blacks' forwardly self-acceptance and self-adaptation,namely,black people should face their trauma and history bravely,meanwhile,rely on themselves and their communities for salvation.As the representatives of African American community,what the characters in Jazz suffered represents each black's encounter.Therefore,this thesis analyzes characters' trauma,their symptoms and recovery from the perspective of trauma theory.Chapter One introduces Toni Morrison and her Jazz,summarizes the literature review of Jazz and presents the major points of this thesis.Chapter Two offers a theoretical framework,which includes the definition,the formation as well as the application of trauma theory in literature criticism.Chapter Three explores traumatic experience of the protagonist in the novel,including traumatic symptoms and the reasons of characters' trauma from the aspects of history,society,family and personality.Chapter Four analyzes the recovery of the characters' trauma.Only by himself and gaining help from others to make reconnecting with the society,can victims become a free and authentic individual.Chapter Five concludes the application of trauma theory in interpreting Jazz,enlarging the research vision on this novel.