Conclusion 10

Acknowledgement 11

References 12

1 Introduction

1。1 Definition of Cultural Trauma

   According to etymology, trauma is the feeling of pain including psychological meaning and spiritual meaning。 Trauma is described as a kind of constant flashback after going through the unbearable violent event which used to be out of expectation。 It is also presented as nightmare and all forms that can remind the person who have experienced the trauma of the painful period。 ( Caruth, 1996) And Alexander。 Jeffrey 。C。 gives the complete definition that cultural trauma occurs when members of a collectivity feel they have been subjected to a horrendous event that leaves indelible marks upon their group consciousness, marking their memories forever and changing their future identity in fundamental and irrevocable ways。 ( Alexander, 2004, p。1)文献综述

1。2 Literature Review

  Among the American community, the minorities, such as African American, Chinese American, American Indian, at the spiritual or cultural level, all suffered a lot from the main stream society, like discrimination on the black, passing Chinese Exclusion Law, and driving Indians to the reservation。 Especially women suffered even more seriously。 

  From the point view of Tao Dongfeng, there are three meanings under the definition from Alexander。 First of all, it is a sort of self-conscious cultural construction。 Secondly, it is a kind of hurt to a group of people。 Thirdly, to cure the scar is the common mission for the whole group not  responsibility for a single person。(Tao, 2011, p10) Usually, literary works focus on one or two people who can represent a group to show readers cultural trauma they go through。

1。2。1 Identity crisis and reconstruction

  Identity crisis is regarded as one of the consequences of cultural trauma and characters in those novels always struggle to reconstruct their identity。 Jiang Xinxin focuses on the Jewish American identity crisis of the protagonist in Cynthia Ozick’s The Shawl caused by cultural trauma。 Not only the heroine's cultural trauma left by concentration camp experience is analyzed, but also Jiang probes how cultural trauma brings identity crisis to her from outer elements and inner worlds。 (Jiang, 2015) On the analysis of The Round House, Zhu Ronghua also puts her point on a female---- an American Indian woman and gives her opinion on how should Indians recover their pains after  encountering cultural trauma。 She casts a doubt on the violent way to work through trauma，considering violent revenge will lead the Indian culture to a more closed and narrow space of existence。 On the contrary, they ought to seek a more open and lenient way to rescue their own nation。(Zhu, 2015) 

1。2。2 The lost identity of female characters caused by cultural trauma

  Under the contradiction between mighty white cultural shock and minority traditional culture, females always feel confused about their own personal identity and national identity。 Bone and The Bluest Eye present it by describing roles' details。 On the basis of Fromm’ s theory of the alienation of human nature, Pecola, gained both mental and physical pain from her parents, classmates and teachers---- maltreat and discrimination so that she denies herself as a black girl completely with extremely psychological twist。 Here comes the conclusion that black females have to keep themselves to gain the independence of dignity and humanity。(L。 L。 Zhang, 2014) Xue Yuxiu has the similar opinion that the lost of subjectivity of black women is caused by cultural trauma。 The point to recover from it is to be self-admitted and aware of subjectivity。( Xue, 2012) What's more, language, as another element which should be taken into consideration, is not only a tool of communication, but also the backbone of culture。 When the black abandon their native language turning to English, they have no choice but to use the model of thinking of white people and accept the white culture。 It is too quick for them to give up their traditional culture to stick to their root。 The control of language and identity and the internalization of the white aesthetic attitudes and values are the causes of black females’ identity loss, which has a great impact on themselves and the whole society (Huang, Ren & W。 P。 Zhang, 2011) 来*自-优=尔,论:文+网www.youerw.com