From Silence to Testimony: Narrating Trauma and Memory of the 1971 War in Anam’s A Golden Age and Khan’s Noor

Abstract

The Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 is one of the most traumatic events in the history of South Asia, which has deep psychological and emotional scars both for the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Literary narratives play a vital role in the reconstruction of memory and trauma and shaping collective memory. This article examines the comparative representation of memory and trauma in A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam and Noor by Sorayya Khan, focusing on how these novels recount the psychological and social trauma of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. The study analyses the narratives through the theories of trauma by Judith Herman and Jeffrey Prager by underpinning the elements of trauma in the texts, by digging out the memory, silence, and guilt of the characters in both the novels. The article argues that through personal memory, individual trauma can bring about the collective trauma and collective consciousness. By comparing Pakistani and Bangladeshi literary representation, the article highlights the similarities and peculiarities of the two national narratives of the same event.