Trauma and Memory in Magical Realism: Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach as Trauma Narrative
The fundamental characteristic of magical realism is its duality, which enables alternative representations of society and history. Its specific narrative devices make magical realism a viable form for rendering traumatic experience and memories. Monkey Beach (2000) by Eden Robinson, a member of the...
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University of Zadar
2013
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:26996661103441abaedded0bb8036cdf 2024-01-21T10:06:14+01:00 Trauma and Memory in Magical Realism: Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach as Trauma Narrative Anja Mrak 2013-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.15291/sic/2.3.lc.3 https://doaj.org/article/26996661103441abaedded0bb8036cdf EN HR eng hrv University of Zadar http://www.sic-journal.org/ArticleView.aspx?aid=196 https://doaj.org/toc/1847-7755 1847-7755 doi:10.15291/sic/2.3.lc.3 https://doaj.org/article/26996661103441abaedded0bb8036cdf [sic], Vol 3, Iss 2 (2013) Literature (General) PN1-6790 article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.15291/sic/2.3.lc.3 2023-12-24T01:34:49Z The fundamental characteristic of magical realism is its duality, which enables alternative representations of society and history. Its specific narrative devices make magical realism a viable form for rendering traumatic experience and memories. Monkey Beach (2000) by Eden Robinson, a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations in Canada, is a repository of memories, triggered and fuelled by trauma. Fragmented temporality, mixing of discourses, shifts in focalization, wordplays, repetition, and the magical are some of the devices the novel uses to address the complex landscape of trauma and memory. By unveiling personal memories, Monkey Beach gives way to the unconscious to enter the narrative structure, gradually revealing a much larger issue of the mistreatment of the Haisla people in Canada—and the resulting collective trauma. As trauma cannot be integrated into the narrative, it can only be uncovered indirectly and through a double distancing: firstly through the techniques of magical realism, and secondly, through the seemingly detached point of view of the narrator, who ultimately realises that her life is also encumbered with the dark stain of colonialism. Article in Journal/Newspaper First Nations Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Canada Haisla ENVELOPE(-128.649,-128.649,53.980,53.980) [sic] - a journal of literature, culture and literary translation 2.3 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English Croatian |
topic |
Literature (General) PN1-6790 |
spellingShingle |
Literature (General) PN1-6790 Anja Mrak Trauma and Memory in Magical Realism: Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach as Trauma Narrative |
topic_facet |
Literature (General) PN1-6790 |
description |
The fundamental characteristic of magical realism is its duality, which enables alternative representations of society and history. Its specific narrative devices make magical realism a viable form for rendering traumatic experience and memories. Monkey Beach (2000) by Eden Robinson, a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations in Canada, is a repository of memories, triggered and fuelled by trauma. Fragmented temporality, mixing of discourses, shifts in focalization, wordplays, repetition, and the magical are some of the devices the novel uses to address the complex landscape of trauma and memory. By unveiling personal memories, Monkey Beach gives way to the unconscious to enter the narrative structure, gradually revealing a much larger issue of the mistreatment of the Haisla people in Canada—and the resulting collective trauma. As trauma cannot be integrated into the narrative, it can only be uncovered indirectly and through a double distancing: firstly through the techniques of magical realism, and secondly, through the seemingly detached point of view of the narrator, who ultimately realises that her life is also encumbered with the dark stain of colonialism. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Anja Mrak |
author_facet |
Anja Mrak |
author_sort |
Anja Mrak |
title |
Trauma and Memory in Magical Realism: Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach as Trauma Narrative |
title_short |
Trauma and Memory in Magical Realism: Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach as Trauma Narrative |
title_full |
Trauma and Memory in Magical Realism: Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach as Trauma Narrative |
title_fullStr |
Trauma and Memory in Magical Realism: Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach as Trauma Narrative |
title_full_unstemmed |
Trauma and Memory in Magical Realism: Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach as Trauma Narrative |
title_sort |
trauma and memory in magical realism: eden robinson’s monkey beach as trauma narrative |
publisher |
University of Zadar |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.15291/sic/2.3.lc.3 https://doaj.org/article/26996661103441abaedded0bb8036cdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-128.649,-128.649,53.980,53.980) |
geographic |
Canada Haisla |
geographic_facet |
Canada Haisla |
genre |
First Nations |
genre_facet |
First Nations |
op_source |
[sic], Vol 3, Iss 2 (2013) |
op_relation |
http://www.sic-journal.org/ArticleView.aspx?aid=196 https://doaj.org/toc/1847-7755 1847-7755 doi:10.15291/sic/2.3.lc.3 https://doaj.org/article/26996661103441abaedded0bb8036cdf |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.15291/sic/2.3.lc.3 |
container_title |
[sic] - a journal of literature, culture and literary translation |
container_issue |
2.3 |
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1788696688936878080 |