Articulation of Vicarious Trauma in Louise Erdrich'sThe Round House

Abstract

This research paper attempt to explore thearticulation of vicarious trauma in Louise Erdrich'sThe Round Houseby applying the protagonist himself, his father, his friends and most of the people from the community. In order to show how indirect victim of trauma can became victimizers, who in turn became traumatized by the violence they commit and witness. Louise Erdrich,is selecting the life like story of GaraldineCoutt, a Native American woman, in order to show her pain and suffering that triggers the mind of her son which ultimately results empathetic unsettlement. It tells the readers how Erdrich identifies Joe with Garaldine and articulates that suffering through imagination. Moreever, through this fictional text, this research analyzes the figure of the protagonist from the perspective of vicarious trauma and brings secondary people's traumatic situation at the center. To complete the task, the researcher takes the theoretical insights primarily from literary based on trauma theory text such as Dominick LaCapra'sWriting History, Writing Trauma, and Laurie Anne Pearlman et al's. Treating Traumatic Bereavement. By using these theoretical tools, the researcher finds how Joe himself being secondary victim in the situation of Garaldine and come up with her tragic traumatic situation. The secondary traumatic experience of Joe helps remake the situation of Garaldine from her pain and suffering and give relief from vegetative stage. Hence, projecting the situation of emphatic unsettlement of the protagonist, this research paper attempts to expand the reactions of Joe after knowing about the tragic situation of Garaldine.