Historical Trauma and Ethical-political Writing in J.M. Coetzee’s Summertime

This paper examines historical trauma and ethical-political writing as portrayed in J.M. Coetzee’s autobiographical novel Summertime. Summertime features a fragmented structure, consisting of interviews with five individuals and excerpts from the protagonist John’s journals. Another significant aspect is John’s depressive state, both of which lend themselves to an analysis of the work through the lens of trauma. First, by applying the concept of historical trauma, this paper demonstrates that, even though John does not directly experience the traumatic events, it is still possible to consider the trauma as part of his own experience. Furthermore, the fragmented structure and John’s depression are linked to his writing, especially in terms of its ethical and political dimensions. In the South African context, John engages in a form of ethically reflective writing, adopting a political expression that contrasts with traditional realistic approaches. (Jeonbuk National University)