“No perspective, however informed, can fully represent trauma” (Chute page 102)
In the examination of traumatic events, Chute explains that no matter how eloquent the wording or how intelligent the speaker, it is infeasible to accurately explain the true nature of trauma. It can even be said that trauma essentially erases the traumatic event from the cognitive life narrative of the victim. As said by Dr. Laurie McNeill in lecture, “trauma is something that erases the subject”. Through my blog post I apply this principle of trauma robbing the story of the victim to victims of sexual assault in the 21st century. In order to understand the traumatic implication of sexual assault, it is important to fully comprehend the boundaries of which sexual assault can be classified. Popular YouTube figure Hank Green provides a thorough explanation of sexual assault, detailing how sexual assault is not exclusively penetrative rape, but instead can be viewed as a wide spectrum encompassing acts such as unwarranted sexual advances and inappropriate touching. With the examination of sexual assault, it is important to note the psychological concept of repression. Elizabeth Loftus stated that “Repression is one of the most haunting concepts in psychology. Something shocking happens, and the mind pushes it into some inaccessible corner of the unconscious.” (Loftus, page 1). Through repression Chute’s ideas of trauma erasing subject become tangible. In the mind of the victim the traumatic event is quite literally erased robbing them of their testament to the abuse. This is important because not only is the individual in question robbed of their personal narrative, but from a legal perceptive they are essentially unable to be brought justice. Even when the victims have a comprehension of the trauma, it is convoluted to accurately explain and report said act. However there has been a recent surge in sexual assault awareness and empowerment movements. One Huffington Post article entitled “Project Unbreakable” depicted survivors holding posters with the words their assaulter’s said to them. The pictures show a stark juxtaposition between the horrid phrases and the strength on the survivor’s faces. They are claiming back their story. As a previously silenced survivor of sexual harassment, the act of reclaiming a stolen story truly matters. Victims should not be robbed of their life narratives, even in the cases of unimaginable trauma.
Hi Delaney! Sexual assaults for women is one of the greatest source of trauma, and being the example here it has supported your argument. On the other hand, trauma can erase itself not only on a personal level, but also happens when the victim is a group of people. Some of the elders in my family refuse to talk about their experiences of the Cultural Revolution (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution) because they believe that “it was just pain” and there was no need to bring it up. They are so convinced that the reason why they don’t want to discuss it is simply because they don’t want to, they couldn’t realize that they are just repressed by trauma itself. In my opinion, “Project Unbreakable” serves the purpose of making the victims rethink their traumatic experiences in order to recover their memories of them. Though the pain and reluctance from reliving trauma can be imagined, it is still essential for the victims to speak up so that the trauma can be remembered and learned from.