A STUDY OF CULTURAL TRAUMA IN BRANDON HOBSON'S NOVEL THE REMOVED

Abstract

The present study is aimed at investigating Brandon Hobson’s novel The Removed from the perspective of cultural trauma as presented by Jeffery C. Alexander in his essay titled as: Toward a Theory of Cultural Trauma. As the given novel is written in the backdrop of Cherokee Indian community’s removal from Oklahoma, it sheds lights on massive suffering and subsequent cultural trauma of the said community. As per Jeffery, cultural trauma takes place when a horrendous event leaves indelible marks on community’s consciousness, shaking its foundation of cultural identity in irrevocable ways.  Similarly, this novel presents aftershocks of Ray-Ray Echota’s murder which shakes social fabric of Echota family, causing physical, mental and social disintegration in the entire family. Ray-Ray’s memories keep on wounding psyche of all members of the family through flashbacks, association of ideas and remains of his room, making them re-experience the catastrophic event. Likewise, Tsala, a late Cherokee ancestor’s narrative gives historical view of community’s suffering after promulgation of government’s The Indian Removal Act of 1830’s. The characters in the novel under present discussion adopt certain acts of defense mechanism to lessen impact of being traumatized. This study proves that series of catastrophic events bring about cultural trauma, making disintegration in basic fabric of social and cultural lives of the sufferers.