Violence, Vulnerability and the Overcoming of Trauma in Rachel Seiffert’s The Walk Home

Romo-Mayor, Paula (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Rachel Seiffert’s The Walk Home (2014) tells the story of a Protestant Irish family living in Glasgow that has been haunted by a problematic fanaticism since the Partition of Ireland (1922). Its narrative builds an intricate family tree where its members, immersed in the vicious cycle of ethno-sectarian violence, reveal their own traumas and intrinsic frailties. Their isolation and helplessness are further exacerbated by their tendency to repress their traumatic past. However, the encounter between Lindsey and Eric, two relatives-in-law, encourages them to run away and confront the past through art respectively, thus casting some light on the unending transmission of trauma in the family. Drawing on theories of trauma and ethics (Freud 1950 1917], 2001 1914]; Levinas 1986, 1998 1993]; Volkan 2001, 2017; Butler 2004; LaCapra 2014 2001]), I will attempt to demonstrate, firstly, that the narrative form of The Walk Home performs the disruptive and repetitive symptoms of transgenerational trauma; and secondly, that the ethical encounter with the other and the recognition of a shared vulnerability transmitted through families can empower characters like Lindsey and Eric to change their lives. The analysis also considers the possibility of challenging the perpetuity of the traumas arising out of the British-Irish conflict and developing resilience through the acknowledgement of vulnerability, the need for interdependency and the heling power of artistic representation. © 2022 by Paula Romo.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.24162/EI2022-10678

Año: 2022

Publicado en: Estudios irlandeses 17 (2022), 115-129
ISSN: 1699-311X

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 0.2 - Arts and Humanities (Q3) - Social Sciences (Q4)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.108 - Cultural Studies (Q4) - Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) (Q4)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/H03-20R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO-FEDER/FFI2017-84258-P

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Filología Inglesa (Dpto. Filolog.Inglesa y Alema.)