Representing the unrepresentable: Postcolonial trauma and identity in Toni Morrison's Beloved and Tomson Highway's Kiss of the Fur Queen

This thesis offers an in-depth examination of the novels, Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987) and Tomson Highway's Kiss of the Fur Queen (1998), focusing on their poignant portrayal of postcolonial and racial trauma. Central to the analysis is an exploration of trauma in literature and psychoanalysis, particularly through a Freudian lens, as well as the periods of postcolonialism and racial identity. The research probes into how these literary works articulate issues surrounding trauma and the ensuing identity crisis. Primarily, it centers on the depiction of victimization experienced by African American and North Indian American communities, including dehumanizing actions. The novel Beloved is scrutinized in relation to the expression of African American grief and melancholia, along with an interpretation of Lacan's concept of 'jouissance'. On the other hand, the novel Kiss of the Fur Queen is examined from the perspective of indigenous cultural spirit. The goal of this study is to illustrate how both novels integrate past experiences that have not been completely assimilated into the psychical characters, signifying the suppressed aspects of their identity. Keywords: Colonialism, Identity, Trauma