Being as Inheritance : Identity, Trauma, and Mourning in Contemporary Transcultural Narratives

Abstract

In an era of growing political conflicts and resurgent national populism, the enduring significance of nations, ethnicities, and cultural roots remains undeniable. This work examines how contemporary literary fiction reflects these tensions, exploring the complex relationship between identity and inheritance. Drawing on Vamik Volkan’s studies of large-group psychology, Judith Butler’s theory of primary human vulnerability, and Michael Rothberg’s theory of the implicated subject, this study examines how literary narratives portray identity conflicts and the weight of cultural pasts. The investigation of inheritance, which entails different forms of loss – of home, land, loved ones, or self, also considers the role of mourning, both personal and collective, in shaping a meaningful and unconflicted sense of self. By anchoring the analysis of narratives in theories of transgenerational trauma, implication, and grievability, this book reveals how literature confronts the unrepresentable, exposing the deep, often unseen ties between past and present.