TESTIMONIES OF TRAUMA AND POSSIBILITIES OF HEALING IN OCEAN VUONG'S ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS (2019)

Authors

  • Soultana Diamanti Independent researcher, alumna of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18485/bells.2023.15.11

Keywords:

intergenerational trauma, healing, Vietnam War, Vietnamese diaspora

Abstract

The present paper explores the concept of trauma and its intergenerational transmission in Ocean Vuong’s semi-autobiographical novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (2019). This paper aims to present a study of the Vietnamese American immigrant experience within the context of literary trauma studies and argue for both the transgressive power of trauma and the potential of writing to effect healing. Family becomes the space of the intergenerational transmission of trauma, but also a locus of transformation with Vuong highlighting the intimacy that also defines the family members’ relationships. The potential of strong familial bonds and intimate relationships to counteract a legacy of violence and precarity is explored, alongside generic experimentation undertaken by the author.

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Author Biography

Soultana Diamanti, Independent researcher, alumna of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Soultana (Tania) Diamanti holds a BA Honors in English Language and Literature and an MA in English and American Studies from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. She is currently teaching English as a foreign language in the Municipality of Thessaloniki, and she is also an independent researcher. Her research focuses on issues of identity, immigration, trauma, and the role of creative writing in contemporary Anglophone literature.

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Published

2023-12-26

How to Cite

Diamanti, S. (2023). TESTIMONIES OF TRAUMA AND POSSIBILITIES OF HEALING IN OCEAN VUONG’S ON EARTH WE’RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS (2019). Belgrade English Language and Literature Studies, 15(1), 215–240. https://doi.org/10.18485/bells.2023.15.11

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2023): BELLS - volume 15

Section

LITERARY AND CULTURAL STUDIES

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Copyright (c) 2023 Soultana Diamanti

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