Trauma as a Phenomenon of History: From Charcot and Dostoevsky to Achebe and Fanon, 1869-1958

Abstract

This thesis examines how the concept of psychological trauma developed, from a historical perspective. The works of three psychiatrists (Jean-Martin Charcot, Sigmund Freud, Frantz Fanon) are compared with the fictional works of three authors (Fyodor Dostoevsky, Virgina Woolf, Chinua Achebe). The research question that stems from this method is: ‘how did the concept of psychological trauma develop, and factors influenced its developments between 1869 and 1958?’ Writings of psychology and fiction are compared and analysed, in order to shed light on how psychological concepts appear in fiction. The development of trauma is further placed in its historical context, so as to establish how major events (such as World War One) influenced how psychologists and novelists wrote about trauma. The thesis demonstrates that phenomena such as trauma have a historical dimension, which determines how they are spoken about and understood, along with how ideas from science and psychology can influence artistic writing.