Childhood Trauma in Toni Morrison's God Help the Child (2015)

This present research work undertakes an analysis of the representation of childhood trauma in Toni Morrison¿s God Help the Child (2015) in the light of Judith Herman¿s trauma theory. The study attests to the physical and emotional oppression worked out upon children in the African American context and strives to investigate alternative modes of thought and behavior in dealing with children. It mainly concentrates on the analysis of the psychology of characters subjected to childhood molestation and abuse, capitalizing their shortcoming in nurturing sound bearings with their environment and the people surrounding them. The research dwells upon Judith Herman¿s theoretical insights into the phenomenon of trauma focusing on the notion of intrusion and borderline personality disorder ensuing from trauma experiences.