TONİ MORRİSON’IN BELOVED (1987) ADLI ROMANINDA KÖLELİĞİN TRAVMATİK ETKİLERİ

Abstract

Toni Morrison’ın 1987 yılında yayımlanan Beloved adlı eseri, Afrika Amerikalı tarihini yeni kimliklerin inşası bağlamında ele alan bir travma anlatısı olarak tanımlanabilir ve neo-kölelik anlatılarının önde gelen örneklerinden biridir. Kimlik, travma, tarih ve anlatı arasındaki ilişki yadsınamaz bir gerçekliktir ve bu unsurlar, romanda birbirine sıkı sıkıya bağlı bir şekilde örülmüştür. Bu nedenle, roman boyunca karakterlerin kölelik deneyimlerine dair anıları, hatırlama ve hikâye anlatma eylemleri aracılığıyla ortaya konur. Ne var ki, hatırlama eylemi karakterler için acı verici bir süreçtir; geçmişin dayanılmaz yüküyle yüzleşmek onları sarsar. Ancak yine de, bu işkence dolu geçmiş, köleliğin kurbanları için bir tür çözüm ve arınma sunar. Bu çalışma, romanı birincil kaynak olarak ele alarak nitel bir yaklaşımla incelenecektir. Ayrıca, köleliğin bireyler, aileler ve sonraki kuşaklar üzerindeki derin ve kalıcı etkilerini ortaya koymak amacıyla ikincil kaynaklar ve çeşitli bulgularla desteklenecektir. Çalışma, travma kuramı çerçevesinde, kölelik hikâyesinin anlatılmasının hem bireysel hem de kolektif travmaların iyileşmesinde hayati bir rol oynadığını ileri sürmektedir.

Keywords

• Travma
• Kölelik
• Afrikan Amerikalılar
• Hikâye anlatıcılığı
• Edebiyat
• Kolektif travma
• Bireysel travma

TRAUMATIC IMPACTS OF SLAVERY IN TONI MORRISON’S BELOVED (1987)

Abstract

Beloved (1987) by Toni Morrison can be defined as a trauma narrative, focusing on African American history within the context of establishing new identities, and is one of the prominent novels of the neo-slave narrative. The relation among identity, trauma, history, and narrative is an undeniable fact, and they are intricately interwoven. For this reason, throughout the novel, the characters' memories of slavery are illustrated with the help of the act of remembering and storytelling. Nonetheless, the act of remembering is a distressing endeavor for the characters, although the tormenting past provides a resolution for the victims of slavery. Therefore, this study will take a qualitative approach by probing the novel as its primary source. Moreover, the study will be supported by secondary sources and findings to depict the psychological influence of slavery along with its thorough impact on individuals, families, and the next generations. The study suggests that telling the story of slavery is crucial for the healing of collective and personal traumas within the framework of trauma theory.

Keywords

• Trauma
• Slavery
• African American
• Storytelling
• Literature
• Collective trauma
• Individual trauma

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