Further Information
AUTHOR
Ahlam Mustafa AbuKhoti
University of Sydney
Share this page
Calling the Phoenix: Integrating the Trauma of the Nakba into Palestinian Identity
In this paper I argue that the Nakba as a traumatic experience has been integrated into collective Palestinian identity through various forms of commemoration. Through arguing that such cultural trauma has been integrated into collective identity, I take part in challenging notions of resilience and recovery as conceptualized within mainstream trauma theories. Through my analysis of Radwa Ashour’s novel Al-Tantoureyya (2010) I show how Nakba as a cultural trauma replaced an identity based on what existed with one based on what has been lost. By doing so I suggest that identities of trauma are not always marked by pathological responses resulting in dysfunctionality and rupture.
Keywords: Palestine, Al-Tantoureyya, Radwa Ashour, trauma
Full Article
University information
CRICOS Code: 00126G
