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.

Lucy Bond is a principal lecturer in English literature at the University of Westminster, UK.

Stef Craps is a professor of English literature at Ghent University, Belgium.

Reviews:

This book by Lucy Bond and Stef Craps highlights the discourse on trauma. Trauma is regarded as the most intricate, pervasive, severe, and repressed psychological scar that results from terrible experiences in life. It remains unresolved for decades, and generations, which recurs through nightmares, hallucinations, and flashbacks. . . . In conclusion, trauma is a universal and complex thing to be understood in today’s 21st century. With the verge of time, trauma employs various meanings which range from physical to psychological injuries. The evolution of trauma itself has a huge history and asserts cultural relevance in the public sphere. Studying the realms of trauma in an extensional way reflects the new method of analyzing trauma.
Ishani Ipsita Patel and Devendra Kumar Sharma, Social Identities (29.6 (2023))

De maneira geral, a obra é bem-sucedida em seu intento de delinear a trajetória histórica dos estudos de trauma e sua aplicação na análise literária e em outros meios de produção artística e cultural. Fatos históricos, pesquisadores, obras, estudos e termos mais importantes para o desenvolvimento do campo são apresentados ao leitor em linguagem clara e sucinta. Essa é, certamente, uma obra de referência e consulta rápida, útil para o pesquisador mais experiente, ao mesmo tempo que funciona como material introdutório de fácil acesso e entendimento para estudantes iniciantes na área. Nesse sentido, o livro cumpre sua pretendida e anunciada função de manual ou de guia, já que explora todos os momentos e temas mais relevantes para os estudos de trauma, sem deixar de suscitar reflexões sobre o tema.
Joyce Silva Fernandes, Remate de Males (41.1 (2021): 295-98)

As an introduction to trauma theory and its applications to contemporary literary, artistic, and clinical work, the volume sets a high standard. It reminds us of the limitations of trauma studies as a dominant paradigm and exposes its controversies, while endeavoring to enlarge our understanding of this huge field. Trauma will be useful as an introduction for students who struggle with omnipresent and often confusing conceptions of trauma, but professionals and scholars could equally benefit from reading through its dense but clear summaries of a vast array of sources. I recommend the book whole-heartedly to anyone with an interest or need to gain greater familiarity with the meaning and pervasiveness of trauma at this moment of history.
Lewis Kirshner, American Imago (77.4 (2020): 800-08)

Contents:

Acknowledgements

Series Editor’s Preface

Introduction: Not Even Past

1. The History of Trauma

The Origins of Hysteria

Invisible Wounds of War

An Integrated Approach

The Age of Trauma

2. Words for Wounds

Poetry after Auschwitz

Shifting Paradigms

Caruth’s Unclaimed Experience

Hartman’s Traumatic Knowledge

Felman and Laub’s Crises of Witnessing

3. Trauma Theories

Acting-Out and Working-Through

Historical and Structural Trauma

Transgenerational Trauma

Fantasies of Witnessing

Individual and Collective Trauma

4. The Future of Trauma

Decolonizing Trauma

Beyond the Trauma Canon

Perpetrator Trauma

The Trauma of the Future

Conclusion: The Limits of Trauma

Glossary

Bibliography

Index