The Manifestation of Trauma in Nayomi Munaweera’s What Lies Between Us: A Thematic Analysis

Trauma literature has garnered a lot of interest and has gained a significant position in today’s literary studies as it offers an outlook on the different reactions of individuals in face of disruptive experiences. Since the language of literature has a fascinating power to display the inner world of man, there has been a rising interest in trying to depict the struggles of unearthing deeply buried emotional turmoil. This gave birth to the merger of literature and psychoanalysis resulting in the emergence of literary trauma theory. The objective of the present paper is to examine how authors explore the theme of trauma in their writings to expose the struggles imposed by different kinds of traumatic experiences as their stories have been revolving around characters whose identities are lost in-between worlds and whose voices are unheard or muted. The analysis is conducted through a thematic analysis of Nayomi Munaweera’s What Lies Between Us to explore how the author employs literary devices to represent the protagonist’s experience of psychological trauma and displacement. The findings reveal the main features of Munaweera’s trauma narrative and how they are consistent with the broader framework of literary trauma theory. By analysing Munaweera’s novel, this paper provides insights into the ways literature can offer a pathway towards reconciliation and self-healing to those who have experienced trauma.