TRAUMA OF WAR IN WOMEN: READING NGUYEN PHAN QUE MAI’S THE MOUNTAINS SING

Abstract

War is one of the major causes for creating uncertainty in society. Perhaps it is restricted to the battlefield but its repercussions exceed far beyond the battlefield. Besides the bloodshed and massacre, the mental distress, trauma of war, PTSD, and suicidal ideation are some of the major aftereffects of war. The trauma of war is probably one of the most dominant themes of Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai’s novel The Mountains Sing. It is a literary representation of the Resistance War (1955-75) of Vietnam and the misery it caused to the Tran family. Death, violence, and bloodshed are the unavoidable part of war. This research will be an attempt to work on the area of war trauma faced by women during and after the war. The story revolves around the life of Dieu Lan, who is a victim of war. She shares the terrible experience of her father’s assassination by the Japanese soldiers. The autobiographical tone of the novel in a way indicates the suffering of the novelist herself. This project will be a discussion about the trauma and consequences of war in the life of Dieu Lan along with the other members of her family specially the woman. Although she was not directly engaged in war, how it alters the events of her life is the main concern of this research. Key Words: War, Trauma, Women, Suffering, Violence, Death