Representations of Trauma in Booker Prize-Winning Fiction: A Comparative Study of Shuggie Bain, The Promise, and The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

Abstract

The paper explores a comparative analysis of trauma in all the three Booker Prize winning novels from 2020-2022- Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, The Promise by Damon Galgut, and The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka. These novels have employed various narrative approaches, the present paper reflects personal, familial, socio- political pain and struggles. All the three novels are connected to their own special cultural and historical backgrounds — 1980s Glasgow, apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa, and conflict-affected Sri Lanka. From the viewpoint of trauma theory and literary analysis, this study examines how these novels express experiences of pain and suffering, and also seeking instances of resilience and hope. It also thinks about the responsibility of literature to present trauma carefully and meaningfully. The research poses significant questions about what deserves to be voiced, what should be left unsaid, and how narratives assist us in recalling past wounds, making sense of them, and gathering the strength to challenge the world we live in.