Abstract

Trauma studies have has opened new paths in fiction to represent the sufferings of human beings. One of the issues that trauma studies discuss is the transgenerational transmission of trauma. Traumatic events are experienced by the victims, but their psychological impacts can be inherited by the next generations even if they do not experience the events at first hand. Therefore, transgenerational cycles of trauma become inevitable in the family. This study aims to explore how transgenerational trauma is represented and engaged via the character Hiroko and her son Raza in the novel Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie. The focus of the study is the representation of the traumas caused by atomic bombing and their physical and psychological transmissions to the next generations. The trauma of Hiroko, as the witness and survivor, is presented by exploring the traumatic memories of her haunted past. Being captive in her own traumas, the character cannot avoid passing on her traumas to her only child. The study focuses on the psychological impacts of atomic bomb trauma and its transmission to the offspring of the survivors. Key-words: trauma, traumatic memory, transgenerational trauma, atomic bomb, Burnt Shadows.