RACE-BASED TRAUMA IN ALICE WALKER’S THE THIRD LIFE OF GRANGE COPELAND

Abstract

Racial and ethnic minorities face distressing experiences due to their

race. The literary researchers began to coin to investigate ‘race-based trauma’ to

fathom out how the race affects the social, emotional, and psychological well-being

of racial groups. These researchers were pointing out race as a leading factor

for experiencing trauma among racial and ethnic groups. Black Americans, as racial

minorities, are exposed to race-related problems; therefore, they are likely to

suffer from race-based trauma. Alice Walker’s The Third Life of Grange Copeland

is an embodiment of how race brings about emotional stress, fear, and trauma in

the Black society. Walker, through the portrayal of the Copeland family, depicts

circles of repression, degradation, and poverty. In the story, Grange and his family,

as the microcosm of the black society, are depicted as powerless, oppressed,

and traumatized. Walker exposes that the life of the Copeland family is devoid

of any rights and values, as they do not belong to the white hegemonic society.

Nonetheless, Walker reveals the healing process and metamorphosis journey of

the characters. This article aims to explore the role of race in relation to trauma in

Alice Walker’s The Third Life of Grange Copeland. Moreover, the article unearths

the characters’ healing process from the trauma.

Keywords

• Alice Walker,race-based trauma,devaluation,healing

References

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