ABSTRACT

Trauma has become a catchword of our time and a central category in contemporary theory and criticism. In this illuminating and accessible volume, Lucy Bond and Stef Craps:

  • provide an account of the history of the concept of trauma from the late nineteenth century to the present day
  • examine debates around the term in their historical and cultural contexts
  • trace the origins and growth of literary trauma theory
  • introduce the reader to key thinkers in the field
  • explore important issues and tensions in the study of trauma as a cultural phenomenon
  • outline and assess recent critiques and revisions of cultural trauma research

Trauma is an essential guide to a rich and vibrant area of literary and cultural inquiry.

 

chapter |11 pages

Introduction: not even past

chapter 1|33 pages

The history of trauma

chapter 2|33 pages

Words for wounds

chapter 3|28 pages

Trauma theories

chapter 4|30 pages

The future of trauma

chapter |29 pages

Conclusion: the limits of trauma

chapter |11 pages

Glossary