Cultural trauma and collective memory in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer: a “spiral signification” narrative
Abstract This article explores how Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer (2019) reshapes the narrative of slavery through the lens of cultural trauma, which extends beyond personal trauma. It aims to investigate how the physical and psychological trauma of enslavement and dehumanization is collective....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04467-x |
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| _version_ | 1823862637850525696 |
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| author | Ammar Abduh Aqeeli |
| author_facet | Ammar Abduh Aqeeli |
| author_sort | Ammar Abduh Aqeeli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This article explores how Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer (2019) reshapes the narrative of slavery through the lens of cultural trauma, which extends beyond personal trauma. It aims to investigate how the physical and psychological trauma of enslavement and dehumanization is collective. In other words, the experiences of a multitude of individuals are aggregated to create a shared experience. Moreover, the article examines how the impact of trauma on both individuals and groups is not only immediate but also extendable to subsequent generations. The Water Dancer effectively portrays slavery as a collective trauma, the insidious legacy of which leaves a lasting stain on the lives of African Americans. The phenomenon of cultural trauma in The Water Dancer is illustrated through the revival of slavery’s memory as a collective experience. It provides African Americans with a positive basis for identity in a world that failed to fulfill its post-slavery promise to end their persistent disenfranchisement. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-279e43a699914dda990e922430699491 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-279e43a699914dda990e9224306994912025-02-09T12:25:46ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-02-011211810.1057/s41599-025-04467-xCultural trauma and collective memory in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer: a “spiral signification” narrativeAmmar Abduh Aqeeli0Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Jazan UniversityAbstract This article explores how Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer (2019) reshapes the narrative of slavery through the lens of cultural trauma, which extends beyond personal trauma. It aims to investigate how the physical and psychological trauma of enslavement and dehumanization is collective. In other words, the experiences of a multitude of individuals are aggregated to create a shared experience. Moreover, the article examines how the impact of trauma on both individuals and groups is not only immediate but also extendable to subsequent generations. The Water Dancer effectively portrays slavery as a collective trauma, the insidious legacy of which leaves a lasting stain on the lives of African Americans. The phenomenon of cultural trauma in The Water Dancer is illustrated through the revival of slavery’s memory as a collective experience. It provides African Americans with a positive basis for identity in a world that failed to fulfill its post-slavery promise to end their persistent disenfranchisement.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04467-x |
| spellingShingle | Ammar Abduh Aqeeli Cultural trauma and collective memory in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer: a “spiral signification” narrative Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Cultural trauma and collective memory in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer: a “spiral signification” narrative |
| title_full | Cultural trauma and collective memory in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer: a “spiral signification” narrative |
| title_fullStr | Cultural trauma and collective memory in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer: a “spiral signification” narrative |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cultural trauma and collective memory in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer: a “spiral signification” narrative |
| title_short | Cultural trauma and collective memory in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer: a “spiral signification” narrative |
| title_sort | cultural trauma and collective memory in ta nehisi coates the water dancer a spiral signification narrative |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04467-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ammarabduhaqeeli culturaltraumaandcollectivememoryintanehisicoatesthewaterdanceraspiralsignificationnarrative |