A POSTCOLONIAL APPROACH TO REFUGEE LITERATURE: DECONSTRUCTING THE NARRATIVE OF VIOLENCE AND TRAUMA

Abstract

In an era marked by the relentless flow of displaced populations, refugee literature stands as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit. This research intends to delve into the unheard narratives of refugees, particularly women and children, through the literary work of Cambodian writer, Vaddey Ratner. It highlights the ongoing and postwar difficulties and experiences that refugees face during their stay in homelands and host environments. This research will shed light on different phases of refugees’ lives from royalty to traumatic life, loss to guilt, and hope to silence. Cambodian people suffered from massive violence in the form of genocide when the Khmer Rouge attacked the country in the name of communism. Extreme violence and forced displacement lead to aggression and prolonged trauma in a refugee’s identity. Frantz Fanon’s postcolonial perspective on violence and Freudian principles of psychoanalysis have been employed in the research to analyze oppressive models and cogitate refugee crises. This research suggests that refugee literature is deeply rooted in the historical legacies of colonialism.