Literary Trauma

Deborah M. Horvitz

Description

This book examines portrayals of political and psychological trauma, particularly sexual trauma, in the work of seven American women writers. Concentrating on novels by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Pauline Hopkins, Gayl Jones, Leslie Marmon Silko, Dorothy Allison, Joyce Carol Oates, and Margaret Atwood, Horvitz investigates whether memories of violent and oppressive trauma can be preserved, even transformed into art, without reproducing that violence. The book encompasses a wide range of personal and political traumas, including domestic abuse, incest, rape, imprisonment, and slavery, and argues that an analysis of sadomasochistic violence is our best protection against cyclical, intergenerational violence, a particularly timely and important subject as we think about how to stop "hate" crimes and other forms of political and psychic oppression.
Acknowledgments

1. Introduction: Bearing Witness

2. Reading the Unconscious in Leslie Marmon Silko's Almanac of the Dead

3. Freud and Feminism in Gayl Jones's Corregidora and Dorothy Allison's Bastard out of Carolina

4. Hysteria and Trauma in Pauline Hopkins's Of One Blood; Or, the Hidden Self

5. Postmodern Realism,Truth and Lies in Joyce Carol Oates's What I Lived For

6. Intertextuality and Poststructural Realism in Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper"

7. Conclusion: Words Finally Spoken

Notes
Works Cited
Index

Sujets

• Vie de famille
• Soutien psychologique et conseils familiaux

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 02 novembre 2000
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9780791491898
• Langue: English

Extrait

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I T E R A RY ②

R AU M A

SUNY series in Psychoanalysis and Culture

H enry Sussman, editor

L I T E R A RY T R A U M A

Sadism, M emory, and Sexual Violence in American Women’s Fiction

TATE ❙ t

DEBORAH M. H ORVIT Z

NIVERSI TY OF EW ORK RESS � ✁ ♦

Published by S TATE U NIVERSITY OF N EW Y ORK P RESS , A LBANY

© 2000 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246

Production, Laurie Searl M arketing, Fran Keneston

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication D ata

H orvitz, D eborah M ., 1951- Literary trauma : sadism, memory, and sexual violence in American women’s fiction / D eborah M . H orvitz. p. cm—(SUNY series in psychoanalysis and culture) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-7914-4711-1 (alk. paper)–ISBN 0-7914-4712-X (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. American fiction–Women authors–H istory and criticism. 2. Psychological fiction, American–H istory and criticism. 3. Psychoanalysis and literature–United States. 4. Women and literature–United States. 5. Psychic trauma in literature. 6. Sex crimes in literature. 7. Violence in literature. 8. Sadism in literature. 9. M emory in literature. I. T itle. II. Series.

PS374.W 6 H 68 2000 813.009'353—dc21

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

99-089796

For Eliz abeth Ammons and In M emory of M y Father

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O N T E N T S

Acknowledgments Chapter O ne Introduction: Bearing W itness

Chapter Two

Chapter T hree

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven Notes Works Cited Index

Reading the Unconscious in Leslie M armon Silko’s Almanacof the Dead

Freud and Feminism in G ayl Jones’sCorregidoraand D orothy Allison’sBastard out of Carolina

H ysteria and Trauma in Pauline H opkins’s Of One Blood;Or, the Hidden Self

Postmodern Realism, Truth and Lies in Joyce Carol O ates’sWhat I Lived For

Intertextuality and Poststructural Realism in M argaret Atwood’sAlias Graceand Charlotte Perkins G ilman’s “T he Yellow Wallpaper”

Conclusion: Words Finally Spoken

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7

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99 131 135 153 165

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C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

I am grateful for the help I received from James Peltz and Laurie Searl at SUNY Press, for the suggestions and support of my readers, and to Pam M akie for her cover design. I would also like to thank Linda Bamber and Joycelyn M oody, both of whom read an early version of this book. T heir insights, con- versations, and humanity will always be with me. And, thank you, Jeanne Smith, for help every step of the way. Portions of chapter 2 appeared previously inStudies in American Indian Literature. Portions of chapter 3 appeared previously inContemporary Literature, vol- ume 39, no. 2, Summer 1998. Portions of chapter 4 appeared previously inev iewAfrican American R , volume 33, no. 2, Summer 1999.