Negotiating Embittered Selves: A Study of Trauma and Displacement in Roy’s The God of Small Things

Traumas can lead to lasting emotional disruption, often manifesting as uncontrolled emotions, abnormal behaviours, persistent fear, and resentment. This study explores post-traumatic embitterment and the use of displacement as a defence mechanism in the characters of Roy's novel, The God of Small Things. Grounded in a qualitative approach, the Textual Analysis method is employed to collect and analyse data. Linden's concept of Post-Traumatic Embitterment Disorder (PTED) and Freud's theory of displacement serve as the theoretical framework. The study concludes that the characters Ammu, Baby Kochamma, Rahel, and Pappachi undergo embitterment disorder as a result of various traumatic experiences such as loss of loved ones, humiliation and insult, unrequited love, absence of affection and recognition, physical and psychological torture, and emotional injuries. Their traumatic memories do not let them establish balanced and harmonious relationships with the people around them. However, they often use displacement as a defence mechanism, unconsciously, to cope with their feelings of frustration and anxiety. The study contributes to psychoanalytic literary analysis by illustrating the intricate interplay among trauma, defence mechanisms, and character development in contemporary fiction.