Cultural Trauma in Jean Sasson's For The Love Of a Son

Abstract

This research examines cultural trauma in Jean Sasson's novel For the Love of a Son which is the story of Maryam Khail, a beautiful Afghan woman born into one of the most influential families in Afghanistan, a family of wealth and power. Despite her beauty, her education and strength, the evil that lurks in every home in Afghanistan finally caught up with Maryam. This study explores and shows how Afghan civilians are being survived by international war and intra state war for more than three decades. The research applies cultural trauma as a literary tool to examine Sasson's novel which is about Afghan woman quest for her stolen child. During the Civil War gross human rights violations including executions, sexual violence, and many forms of tortures were committed. National government was not stable, civil infrastructure was collapsed and basic social services were no longer available. In this regard, Afghan people collectively feel they have been subjected to horrendous events that leave indelible marks upon their group's consciousness.