TRAUMA AND BODY POLITICS IN ASIAN TRANSGENDER NARRATIVES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.4637Keywords:
Trauma, Body Politics, Gender Performitivity, Transgender Individuals, Intersectionality, Human Rights InstitutionAbstract
This study seeks to explore the complexities of transgender experiences, examining the ways societal issues interact with gender identity and form challenging narratives of trauma. The study focuses on the portrayal of transgender experiences in Arundhati Roy's The Ministry of Utmost Happiness and Elif Shafak's 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. by employing qualitative descriptive research design to analyze the intersection of trauma, gender identity, and body politics within the theoretical framework of Cathy Caruth’s Trauma Theory and Judith butler’s Gender Performitivity Theory. Furthermore, the comparative study highlights substantial cultural, social, political and contextual disparities in the portrayal of transgender experiences between the novels, shedding light on the varied challenges faced by transgender individuals in different Asian settings. The findings reveal that societal attitudes towards transgender individuals play a critical role in shaping their experiences, emphasizing that rejection and discrimination aggravate trauma and hinder self-acceptance. The study promotes creation of inclusive and supportive environments to foster recognition, respect, and human rights institution human rights for transgender individuals. Future studies should examine recent legal changes to evaluate their effects on the lives of transgender individuals.
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