Women's Autobiography: War and Trauma - Softcover

Stewart, V.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1349508519 ISBN 13: 9781349508518

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003

Synopsis

Examining a range of twentieth century writers, including Vera Brittain, Anne Frank and Eva Hoffman, this study focuses on how recent theories of trauma can elucidate the narrative strategies employed in their autobiographical writing. The historical circumstances of each author are also considered. The result is a book which provides a vivid sense of how women writers have attempted to encompass key events of the twentieth century, particularly the First World War and the Holocaust, within their life stories.

About this title

About the Author:

VICTORIA STEWART is a Senior Lecturer in the School of English at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Review:

'Victoria Stewart's book, Women's Autobiography: War and Trauma , expands the current academic discourse in the field of trauma studies. Whereas a great deal of attention has been paid to memoirs of war and shellshock, Stewart focuses on more ambiguous and complicated autobiographical texts written by bereft noncombatants or victims of Nazi persecution, and sheds new light on war memoirs by Vera Brittain, Virginia Woolf, Anne Frank, Charlotte Delbo, and the children of Holocaust survivors. This is an incisive and compelling text that breaks new ground in its serious consideration of the kind of ineffable trauma and homelessness passed, as an unspeakable bequest, from parent to child in a classical scenario of torment unthinkable before the 20th century. Victoria Stewart offers a riveting examination of trauma and narrative reformulation in a century of unprecedented historical struggle.' - Suzette Henke, Morton Professor of Literature, University of Louisville, USA

About this edition

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1349508519
• ISBN 13: 9781349508518
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 210