Exploration of Trauma in Sebastian Barry’s On Canaan’s Side

The purpose of this study is to explore the representation of trauma in Sebastian Barry’s On Canaan’s Side against the backdrop of Cathy Caruth’s theory of “Traumatic Realization” and Dominick LaCapra’s notion of “Working-Through” and “Historical Trauma.” In the novel, Barry depicts various characters who develop traumatic symptoms because of their involvement with large-scale wars and the consequential political affairs that are closely tied to the haunting nature of the Irish history of the 20th century. Within this context, this study claims several characters display the signs of post-war trauma; nonetheless, they cannot entirely comprehend their depressive tendencies due to the delayed realization of the incidents caused by the deficient registration at the exact moment of the traumatic incidents. Only the protagonist, Lily Bere, attempts to work through her constantly repeated traumatic memories by writing her experiences in a journal. The recurrent references to the biblical land of Canaan are also significant in creating a “Founding Trauma” that establishes a new “Myth of Origin” for the marginalized Irish immigrants; therefore, it is examined extensively in this study alongside the manifestations of traumatic inclinations on the personal level.