Julie Otsuka novels "When the Emperor was Divine"(2002) and "The Buddha in the Attic" (2011) narrate the collective trauma experienced by Japanese immigrants in America during the Second World War. With the help of different narrative techniques, both novels communicate the collective trauma to the contemporary reader. This paper analyses the different narrative strategies and their effects on the Western reader in greater detail through traditional close reading strategies.
While "When the Emperor was Divine" narrates the collective trauma through alternating, individual perspectives of a representative Japanese family, "The Buddha in the Attic" manages to create a more powerful communal voice with its consistent first-person plural narration.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Collective Trauma and Its Narrative Techniques
- Textual Analysis: When the Emperor was Divine and The Buddha in the Attic
- Narrative Perspective(s)
- The Communal Voice
- The Oppositional Us vs. Them Dichotomy
- The Role of the Narrattee
- Discourse
- Story
- Narrative Perspective(s)
- Trauma Symptoms: Amnesia, Denial, Dissociation and Loss of Identity
- Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper analyzes how Julie Otsuka's novels, When the Emperor Was Divine and The Buddha in the Attic, narrate the collective trauma experienced by Japanese Americans during World War II. The objective is to examine the narrative techniques employed to convey the scale and impact of this trauma to a reader who may lack direct personal experience. The paper investigates how the novels effectively communicate a collective trauma, exploring the challenges of representing large-scale suffering and achieving reader empathy.
- Collective trauma and its narrative representation
- The use of narrative voice and perspective in conveying collective experience
- The role of individualization within a collective narrative
- The portrayal of trauma symptoms in the novels
- The effectiveness of different narrative techniques in communicating trauma
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This chapter introduces the historical context of Japanese American internment during World War II, highlighting the long-lasting trauma inflicted upon this community. It establishes the central argument: that Otsuka's novels effectively communicate the scale and impact of this collective trauma through specific narrative techniques, emphasizing the need to move beyond the limitations of viewing such suffering merely as statistics. The introduction also lays out the structure of the paper, outlining the different aspects of the narrative that will be examined.
Collective Trauma and Its Narrative Techniques: This chapter defines collective trauma, differentiating it from simply a "traumatized collective," and emphasizes its sociocultural construction. It explores the concept of "cultural trauma" and the gap between the actual event and its representation in narrative. The chapter also discusses the importance of narrating trauma for its overcoming, highlighting the challenges of articulating deeply painful collective experiences and the potential for "historical avoidance." This section critically analyzes how the act of narrating trauma, while crucial for recovery, is inherently shaped by the social context and individual experiences of those involved.
Textual Analysis: When the Emperor Was Divine and The Buddha in the Attic: This chapter delves into the specific narrative techniques used in Otsuka's novels to portray collective trauma. It analyzes the narrative perspectives employed, focusing on the use of the first-person plural and its effectiveness in representing collective voices, along with individualization strategies that foster reader empathy. Discussion also covers how the novels use discourse, tone, and time to convey the emotional weight of the experiences detailed. The role of intertextuality and intermediality in shaping the overall narrative is also considered.
Trauma Symptoms: Amnesia, Denial, Dissociation and Loss of Identity: This chapter examines the manifestations of trauma as depicted in Otsuka's novels. It analyzes specific symptoms of collective trauma, such as amnesia, denial, dissociation, and loss of identity. The chapter explores how these symptoms are represented in the narratives, both implicitly and explicitly, and examines their role in the overall portrayal of collective suffering and the long-term effects of trauma on the community.
Keywords
Collective trauma, narrative techniques, Japanese American internment, World War II, Julie Otsuka, When the Emperor Was Divine, The Buddha in the Attic, cultural trauma, narrative voice, first-person plural, selective individualization, trauma symptoms, amnesia, denial, dissociation, loss of identity.
FAQ: Analyzing Collective Trauma in Julie Otsuka's Novels
What is the main topic of this paper?
This paper analyzes how Julie Otsuka's novels, When the Emperor Was Divine and The Buddha in the Attic, narrate the collective trauma experienced by Japanese Americans during World War II. It examines the narrative techniques used to convey the scale and impact of this trauma to readers who may lack direct personal experience.
What are the key objectives of the analysis?
The paper aims to investigate how the novels effectively communicate collective trauma, exploring the challenges of representing large-scale suffering and achieving reader empathy. Specific areas of focus include the use of narrative voice and perspective, the role of individualization within a collective narrative, the portrayal of trauma symptoms, and the effectiveness of different narrative techniques in communicating trauma.
What narrative techniques are discussed in the paper?
The analysis explores various narrative techniques, including the use of the first-person plural to represent collective voices, individualization strategies to foster reader empathy, discourse, tone, time, intertextuality, and intermediality. The paper also examines how these techniques contribute to the overall portrayal of collective suffering and the long-term effects of trauma.
What trauma symptoms are addressed in the novels and the analysis?
The paper examines the manifestations of trauma as depicted in Otsuka's novels, focusing on symptoms such as amnesia, denial, dissociation, and loss of identity. It analyzes how these symptoms are represented implicitly and explicitly and explores their role in the overall portrayal of collective suffering.
How is collective trauma defined and understood in this paper?
The paper defines collective trauma, differentiating it from a simply "traumatized collective," and emphasizes its sociocultural construction. It explores the concept of "cultural trauma" and the gap between the actual event and its narrative representation. The importance of narrating trauma for its overcoming and the challenges of articulating deeply painful collective experiences are also discussed.
What is the structure of the paper?
The paper is structured as follows: Introduction, Collective Trauma and Its Narrative Techniques, Textual Analysis (focusing on When the Emperor Was Divine and The Buddha in the Attic), Trauma Symptoms, and Conclusion. Each chapter delves into specific aspects of the narrative and its representation of collective trauma.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
Key themes include collective trauma and its narrative representation, the use of narrative voice and perspective in conveying collective experience, the role of individualization within a collective narrative, the portrayal of trauma symptoms in the novels, and the effectiveness of different narrative techniques in communicating trauma.
What are some keywords associated with the paper's content?
Keywords include: Collective trauma, narrative techniques, Japanese American internment, World War II, Julie Otsuka, When the Emperor Was Divine, The Buddha in the Attic, cultural trauma, narrative voice, first-person plural, selective individualization, trauma symptoms, amnesia, denial, dissociation, loss of identity.
- Quote paper
- Marnie Hensler (Author), 2020, Collective Trauma and Its Narrative Techniques. Julie Otsuka’s "When the Emperor Was Divine" and "The Buddha in the Attic", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1030973
