Analysing transgenerational trauma through the lenses of contemporary texts by Anne Frank, Markus Zusak and Khaled Hosseini

Abstract

Transgenerational trauma can be compared to chemical bombs that seep poison and rot a human being from the inside out. While bombs are initiated on targeted individuals, groups or places, the triggers of transgenerational trauma can never be seen as isolated events. The right kind of betrayal, a moment of weakness, and the opportunity to attack or take advantage all trigger the poison of distrust, suspicion, and deliberation to scar a human being for life. The environment, actions and influence that create transgenerational trauma play an integral role in how a person experiences and deals with their traumatic past or history. Living with the guilt of experiencing one’s powerless situation can severely affect how an individual generates self-hatred within oneself. Violence, conflict and war of all kinds create innumerable sensitive psychological triggers that leave lingering poison of trauma, pain and vulnerability in the lives it touches. This research paper argues on specific violent and death-related narrations that prove how trauma is passed from generation to generation through both community and family, resulting in wounds invisible to the eyes. It looks at four contemporary texts, namely, Diary of Anne Frank, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini that shed light on the two different events of chaos, namely the Afghan Wars and the Holocaust. It focuses on how certain actions instigate transgenerational trauma and how the characters navigate through them. It discusses the process of trauma lodging itself within the people of the community and how, in return, it silently follows the younger generations as shackles, bounding them to anguish and misery.